Italy: 25 million euro seizure in Gratta e Vinci fraud case

Italian authorities have seized assets worth over 25 million euros following a major fraud investigation involving “Gratta e Vinci” scratch cards. The Guardia di Finanza executed the seizure against five former employees of a concessionaire company, which was not implicated in the wrongdoing.

Investigators allege the former employees used their IT access credentials to manipulate company servers, allowing them to identify four winning tickets in advance. These included two tickets worth 7 million euros each and two worth 5 million euros each. The winning tickets were subsequently purchased by relatives and friends of the suspects at various locations across Italy.

The operation, ordered by the Regional Prosecutor of the Court of Auditors for Lazio, aims to ensure compensation for damages caused to the Customs and Monopolies Agency. The seized assets include financial holdings, five vehicles, and 25 real estate properties—including apartments, villas, garages, and cellars—located in the provinces of Rome, Viterbo, Treviso, Taranto, Grosseto, and Reggio Calabria.