INPS and Guardia di Finanza uncover €43 million fraud in Italy's citizen‑income scheme

A joint operation by INPS and the Guardia di Finanza, launched in January 2025, cross‑checked data with the Ministry of Justice and its own fraud‑prevention unit. The investigation identified more than 5,700 suspicious applications for the Reddito di cittadinanza (citizen‑income) benefit and forwarded 4,374 cases to territorial units, where an 82 % irregularity rate was confirmed, amounting to over €8.7 million in improper payments.

A second line of checks focused on beneficiaries who held VAT registrations or corporate positions. Inspectors examined a one‑sixth sample of the identified group and uncovered more than 2,600 violations, representing over €36 million in overpayments. In total, more than 3,300 recipients were found to have received benefits without meeting eligibility criteria, leading to a total excess payment exceeding €43 million.

For all irregular cases, revocation of the benefit and recovery of the sums have been initiated, and where criminal elements were detected the matters have been referred to the judiciary.