Calabria investigation reveals fraudulent hiring scheme

An investigation coordinated by the DDA of Catanzaro, known as Operation Master, has uncovered a fraudulent employment scheme in the Sibaritide region of Calabria. The investigation revealed two criminal associations, including one of Pakistani origin, that utilized shell companies to facilitate fake hiring practices.

Under this system, companies that lacked actual production capacity or a genuine need for labor were used to obtain official documentation. Professionals, consultants, and intermediaries were involved in inflating economic values and falsifying documents to bypass controls. The scheme reportedly charged approximately 1,500 euros per fraudulent application, exploiting the vulnerability of job seekers by creating paper-only employment relationships.