Two women have been arrested by the Police of Genoa on suspicion of scamming numerous foreign citizens, primarily from South America. The suspects allegedly organized a scam, providing fake Italian citizenship certifications in exchange for large sums of money. It was reported that they managed to gain an income of over €70,000.
To convince their victims of their legitimacy as real lawyers, the two suspects frequently set up meetings around the prefecture or court, especially in fake professional offices linked to lawyers. They also rented special studios in exclusive Genoese neighborhoods, where receptionists directed unsuspecting clients to the fake lawyers.
The suspects used papers headed to ministerial offices and forged official stamps, combined with the fake law firms, misleading many people. The younger woman was placed under house arrest while the 33-year-old was subjected to the obligation to stay and report daily to the judicial police.
Italian citizenship is highly sought after due to the advantages it provides. People holding such citizenship can live, study, and work in all European Union Member States without restrictions. In 2020, 131,800 individuals gained Italian citizenship, representing a four per cent increase compared to the previous year. Italy offers three ways to obtain Italian citizenship: birthright, marriage, and naturalization.
The Italian passport currently ranks as the fourth most powerful passport in the world, according to the VisaGuide.World Passport Index. Italian passport holders can travel to 107 countries without a traditional visa, and passports are free in 44 countries.
Last year, the Italian Border Police reported an increased number of stolen and forged passports and visas during border checks on the Schengen Area’s external borders. Border police arrested 21 individuals, while 130 foreigners were returned to their countries of origin. 45 people were also reported for offenses mainly related to the possession of stolen or forged passports, some of which contained altered entry visas. Meanwhile, 796,000 travelers were identified and subjected to police checks in Galileo airport, which is 15 percent compared to 2022.
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