The soldiers of the Provincial Command of the Guardia di Finanza of Latina have recently completed an important investigative operation, aimed at combating fraud and the abusive exercise of financial activities for payment services, involving a large number of citizens.
The investigation, conducted by the Latina Group, started from an autonomous information activity in the area, subsequently merging into an investigation delegation issued by the Latina Public Prosecutor’s Office. The target of the investigations was an agency operating under the banner of “electronic post”, which officially dealt with tax collection but in reality was used to misappropriate the sums paid by unsuspecting citizens.
The investigations revealed that, since 2017, the owner of the agency has collected sums of money from numerous private individuals, without the necessary authorizations, claiming that these sums were intended for the payment of local taxes. The woman issued false payment receipts and kept the entire amounts for herself, not paying them to the Municipality of Latina as she let the users understand.
The checks, carried out at the Municipality of Latina on hundreds of positions, together with the analysis of the administrative-accounting documentation and the bank investigations ordered by the Judicial Authority, have made it possible to reconstruct a complex fraud scheme that continued over time. This scheme allowed the owner of the agency to accumulate illicit profits to the detriment of numerous citizens, mainly elderly people.
In-depth investigations revealed that the sums collected, both as taxes and as fees for services, were not paid to the Municipality of Latina. In some cases, these sums were partially paid only after complaints from customers, who had received friendly payment notices or notifications of tax bills.
The woman, who benefits from the presumption of innocence until the conclusion of the trial, was referred to the Judicial Authority for the crimes of fraud (art. 640 criminal code) and abusive exercise of financial activity (art. 131 ter TUB). The owner is accused of having carried out payment and financial intermediation services in a professional manner without the required authorizations.
This operation, conducted in close collaboration between the Guardia di Finanza and the Prosecutor’s Office of Latina, highlights the strong social vocation of the Corps. In addition to guaranteeing economic-financial police action, the Guardia di Finanza protects society and the community, combating crimes to guarantee the correct functioning of the market and the good faith of citizens, especially the most vulnerable. Furthermore, it protects public resources managed by local authorities to guarantee essential services.
The Financial Police invites all citizens to pay maximum attention and report any suspicious activity, continuing to operate on the front line to safeguard legality and justice.
