For nearly two decades, a woman in Spain convinced the government—and many others—that she couldn’t speak.
Now, she’s been exposed as a fraud after a private detective caught her chatting on the street, using her phone, and giving directions in perfectly clear, vocal Spanish.
It all started in 2003, when the woman, then working at a supermarket in Andalusia, was attacked by a customer. Afterward, she was diagnosed with PTSD and pseudomutism—the loss of speech due to psychological trauma. Social Security granted her a permanent disability pension. Since the incident happened at work, the payments were covered by an insurance company.
Fast forward to 2019, and the insurer started digging into her medical history. Nothing from her recent specialist visits—ophthalmologists, dermatologists, orthopedists—mentioned anything about her being unable to speak. That inconsistency raised some red flags.
A psychiatrist reviewing her case flagged potential fraud, but that alone wasn’t enough to take legal action. So the insurance company hired a private detective to follow her around. And what he saw was not someone living with a debilitating condition.
According to reports, the woman spoke “normally on the street, chats with other mothers outside the school gates, uses her cell phone without any problems, and attends Zumba classes,” wrote labor law expert Pere Vidal on LinkedIn.
Then came the final test. The detective approached her in public and casually asked for directions to a department store. She answered—clearly and out loud—while unknowingly being recorded.
With that footage in hand, the insurance company brought the case to court.
In January 2025, the High Court of Justice of Andalusia ruled in favor of the insurer, stating: “A simulation of pseudomutism has been established, or at least a very favorable progression or evolution of such symptoms, as the inhibited symptoms have disappeared.”
The woman tried to argue that the recording violated her constitutional rights, but the court didn’t buy it. The video stood. The benefits stopped. Now, a new case is open to determine how much she’ll need to repay. The insurance company is also likely to sue her to recover the 16 years’ worth of payments.
Until then, it’s safe to say her quiet act is officially over.
The post Woman Who Faked Muteness for 16 Years Busted After Giving Directions appeared first on VICE.
