The Woman Who Pretended to Be Mute for 16 Years

This is one of the wildest stories you'll ever hear: a woman in Spain successfully deceived authorities by pretending to be mute, collecting disability benefits for 16 years.

Her fraud was uncovered by a private detective hired by the insurance company to verify her claims.

The saga began in 2003 when the woman, a resident of Andalusia in southern Spain, was physically attacked by a customer at her supermarket job. Shortly after, she claimed to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from the assault, asserting she had lost her voice after being struck by the customer.

Initial tests did show she had difficulty speaking, leading to her being recognized as disabled and eligible for a monthly disability payment, which she received until 2019 when doubts began to surface about her credibility.

In 2009, an insurance company employee reviewing her medical file noticed that none of her numerous doctors had mentioned muteness. This prompted the company to question her honesty and conduct a deeper investigation into her claims. Instead of relying solely on clinical evaluations, the company hired a private detective to observe her lifestyle. What they found left little room for doubt: she was recorded speaking on the phone normally several times, chatting with neighbors, laughing with parents at her son's school gate, participating in group Zumba classes, and more.

Now, prosecutors are considering filing charges against her for fraud, having illegally obtained funds for more than a decade.