An Italian woman has been accused of faking 17 pregnancies, including 12 natural abortions and five false births, over the last 24 years. Barbara Ioele, 50, reportedly stood to receive upwards of 110,000 euros ($120,000) in maternity benefits as a result of her fraud.

Investigators allege that she went to extraordinary lengths to make the deception seem believable, using stolen medical certificates with forged signatures, pillows to emulate a baby bump, and a rehearsed walk to appear pregnant. Her reported accomplice, Davide Pizzinato, admitted during interrogation that he had been aware of her fraud since 2012.

The case has made national headlines in Italy due to the bold nature of Ioele’s scheme. Prosecutors say that her fraud involved stolen birth certificates from a Rome clinic, forged documents, and doctors’ signatures. Although she registered all of her pregnancies, there are no records of five healthy babies named Benedetta, Angelica, Abramo, Letizia, and Ismaele ever having been born, and no one has seen them.

Unbelievably, Ioele had reportedly been pulling off this scam since 2000, and no one had suspected anything until labour police began investigating her latest pregnancy.

Although she produced two genuine medical certificates attesting to her poor medical condition to avoid appearing for interrogation, Ioele continues to face charges of financial and identity fraud, among others. Her accomplice, Pizzinato, is said to be more than willing to testify against her in exchange for a lighter sentence.

The scandal has raised concerns about the ease with which individuals can defraud state systems, particularly considering the number of alleged red flags surrounding Ioele’s claims. For now, Italians continue to follow this extraordinary story in shock and disbelief.