Italian authorities bust multi‑region Ponzi fraud, seize €1.6 million

The Guardia di Finanza and the Polizia di Stato, acting on a decree from the Bergamo public prosecutor, carried out a coordinated operation that placed nine suspects under preventive custody. The arrested individuals lived in the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Florence, Mantua, Monza‑Brianza and Vibo Valentia. They are charged with organised crime, illegal investment activities, fraud, tax offences, fictitious capital formation and money‑laundering.

Investigators uncovered a Ponzi‑style scheme that promised investors monthly returns of 2‑3 % in exchange for a deposit, allegedly linked to the sub‑leasing of luxury cars. The scheme used front companies not authorised to manage savings, funnelled money through shell firms and accounts held abroad in Ireland and Slovenia, and justified transfers with fictitious invoices. Victims were courted through social events, and in at least two cases the group resorted to intimidation, extortion and violent retaliation, including the seizure of a Lamborghini and threats of death.

The operation seized assets worth more than €1.6 million, involved over one hundred police and finance officers, and employed helicopters and canine units across several Italian regions.