5 Italian Pensioners pretended to be BLIND to scam Government of €500,000 incapacity benefits

You won't believe how five Italian pensioners pretended to be blind just to claim €500,000  (N105,566,515) incapacity benefits.

One of the Pensioner running bare chested 

The elderly scammers were uncovered by undercover police officers, using hidden cameras to film the fraudsters going about their everyday business on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia – and then using white canes to visit the doctor.

In one of the footage, an elderly man is filmed reading food labels in a supermarket.

But when it came to their routine check-ups with the doctor, the five suspects were observed walking with white sticks and holding on to the arm of friends or relatives, while making a show of tentatively putting one foot slowly in front of the other.

Italy’s financial police, the Guardia di Finanza Arbatax branch, investigated the five benefit cheats in who were found operating around the island’s south eastern province of Ogliastra.

The five – two men and three women – fraudulently claimed around 100,000 each, it is alleged. They have been charged with committing fraud against the state.

Prosecutors have seized their properties and bank accounts – and await trial, which could see them get up to five years in jail if found guilty. 

The most outrageous cheat to be exposed is a professional marathon runner who regularly took part in regional races and won several prizes for his outstanding performance despite the alleged handicap that earned him incapacity benefit.

He was filmed on numerous mornings on rural roads running alone, bare chested and–carefully sticking to the left hand side to allow for overtaking cars.

The video then shows the same man arrive at his check-up, clinging to a friend for support, gripping the banister as he climbs the stairs before reaching out for the wall to guide him to the doctor’s room.

One elderly woman has reportedly falsely been claiming benefits for her sight since 1986.

It’s unclear if she is the one featured in the video sure-footedly crossing a busy road unaided while pulling a shopping basket full of groceries.

Once on the pavement, she stops to wait for her friend to catch up before the two stand and have a relaxed gossip.

Can you just imagine, what evil this elderly folks must have committed when they were young, If they can do this now...