An 80-year-old Italian retiree, who lived alone with seven cats and was adopted by a family, after placing an ad in the classifieds begging for company, skipped out on them, leaving behind a dentist's bill for $2,860.

Since taking off, Angelozzi has sent the family two checks to cover the cost; checks later discovered to be stolen from another family that had also taken in the con artist.

After posting the ads, Giorgio Angelozzi received offers from all over the world, including New Zealand, Brazil, and the United States, but was eventually taken in by the Rivas family in Bergamo.

Police are searching for Angelozzi, while his story has caught the eye of a movie producer, who is attempting to contact Rivas'.