Italian authorities seize €25m in assets in scratchcard fraud case

Italian financial police have seized more than €25 million in assets linked to five former employees. They have been accused of exploiting confidential systems to identify winning Gratta e Vinci scratchcards.

The operation marks the latest development in an existing investigation. It is not a new discovery of a new scheme. Officers from Rome’s Guardia di Finanza executed the seizure following proceedings brought by the regional prosecutor at the Court of Auditors for Lazio.

The lottery concessionaire that employed the five individuals is not implicated in the alleged wrongdoing. 

Four tickets carried €24 million in prizes

According to investigators, the former employees allegedly used their access credentials to manipulate company servers and identify four winning tickets before they were purchased.

Two tickets carried prizes of €7 million each. The remaining two were worth €5 million apiece. This brought the combined prize value to €24 million.

Relatives and friends allegedly bought the identified tickets from the retail outlets across Italy to which the concessionaire had distributed them.

Prosecutors contend that access to confidential information removed the element of chance from those purchases, enabling the individuals involved to secure multimillion-euro payouts.

Properties and vehicles frozen

The assets covered by the order include 25 properties, comprising apartments, small villas, garages and cellars.

They are located across the provinces of Rome, Viterbo, Treviso, Taranto, Grosseto and Reggio Calabria. Five vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, were also seized alongside financial holdings.

The precautionary measure is intended to secure potential recovery of the alleged loss suffered by Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency, known as ADM.

It is an asset-preservation measure ahead of a determination of liability. This is rather than a final confiscation following a conviction.

Proceedings follow earlier investigation

The case had already reached a procedural stage in March, when the five former employees were notified of the allegations and given an opportunity to respond.

Reporting at that time put the alleged public loss at approximately €25.07 million. This includes financial damage and damage to the public administration’s reputation.

The investigation originated from inquiries into suspected fraud against the state. Prosecutors argue that the alleged scheme caused prizes to be paid which might otherwise have remained unclaimed.

Court will review the seizure

The five former employees have now been summoned before the Court of Auditors as prosecutors pursue the alleged public losses.

A designated judge will decide whether to confirm, amend or revoke the asset freeze before individual responsibilities are established in the accounting proceedings.

The reported seizure therefore does not settle the allegations against the former employees. The next decision concerns whether the assets should remain secured while the case proceeds.