# Fraud trial involving clergy exploitation in Italy

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/fraud-trial-involving-clergy-exploitation-in-italy
> Updated: 2026-08-16T20:56:06.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

A trial has commenced in Piacenza, Italy, against a 76-year-old man accused of participating in a large-scale fraud scheme. The defendant is alleged to have acted as a “fake lawyer” for an organized criminal group consisting of a family from Bosnia and Herzegovina and their relatives.

Prosecutors claim the group targeted elderly clergy and religious individuals, defrauding them of approximately 1.2 million euros by exploiting their empathy through fabricated stories of illness, legal disputes, or financial crises. The defendant admitted in court to posing as a legal representative to validate the group’s lies, though he claimed he was only paid 2,000 euros and felt deceived by the group himself.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-16: Fraud trial begins for man linked to 1.2 million euro scam targeting clergy

A 76-year-old man is on trial in Italy for acting as a fake lawyer in a 1.2 million euro fraud scheme targeting priests and religious individuals, orchestrated by a criminal group from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/fraud-trial-begins-for-man-linked-to-12-million-euro-scam-targeting-clergy

### 2026-08-06: Italian entrepreneur convicted of ten‑year pension fraud

A Treviso businessman fraudulently collected his dead mother’s pension for over ten years, amassing €230,000, which he used to fund a sports‑wear retail firm; authorities have charged him with embezzlement and

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/pension-fraud-cases-expose-hidden-deaths-in-italy-and-greece

---
Cite as: Fraud trial involving clergy exploitation in Italy. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/fraud-trial-involving-clergy-exploitation-in-italy