Rome, March 6 – A significant operation by the Guardia di Finanza has dismantled an elaborate network dedicated to fraud and money laundering, targeting tourists seeking accommodation in Rome. The scheme involved renting out non-existent apartments and rooms, primarily to visitors planning to attend the Jubilee. Three individuals have been placed under house arrest, and over €145,000 has been preventatively seized.
The Investigation: A Coordinated Effort
The investigation, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Velletri, meticulously reconstructed the fraudulent mechanism. According to information published on the Guardia di Finanza website, the Provincial Command of Rome executed an order issued by the Preliminary Investigation Judge of the Court of Velletri. This provision ordered personal precautionary measures of house arrest for three individuals, who are being investigated for fraud and money laundering.
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The Fraudulent Scheme: Online Ads and Fictitious Companies
The inquiry revealed a multi-million-euro fraud based on the publication of enticing advertisements on various online sites and platforms. These ads offered short-term apartment rentals and rooms in bed & breakfasts in Rome. However, these offers were entirely bogus: the advertised properties either did not exist or were not available to the advertisers. The primary victims were tourists, including foreign visitors, intending to stay in the Eternal City for the Jubilee.
Once tourists made payments via credit card, the sums were credited to bank accounts of a company specifically created to collect the proceeds of the fraud. From there, the money was quickly transferred via bank transfers to other companies linked to the criminal group, some of which were based abroad. These companies, formally registered to nominees with no assets or with criminal records, served as a screen to make it difficult to identify the true beneficiaries of the illicit funds.
False Invoices and Obstacles to Investigations
To justify the money transfers, false invoices for non-existent operations were issued. This tactic aimed to give an appearance of legality to the financial flows and complicate the reconstruction of the illicit origin of the money by investigators. This stratagem made the investigators’ work more complex, as they had to reconstruct a network of companies and nominees used for money laundering.
Additional Suspects and Preventive Seizure
In addition to the three alleged promoters of the fraud and money laundering, sixteen other individuals are suspected of money laundering for carrying out operations aimed at concealing the illicit origin of the funds and obstructing the traceability of the sums. During the investigations, a preventive seizure of over €145,000 was ordered, found in the accounts of the company that received the fraudulent payments.
The Guardia di Finanza continues its efforts to combat financial crimes, especially those that exploit significant events like the Jubilee, which attracts a large number of visitors to the city.
Source: virgilio.it
