This week, I’ve got a whole list of rogues for you: a bunch of tax collectors without scruples in Reggio Emilia, Italy who allegedly ganged up to extort money from tax payers. Most of this dastardly crew has, thankfully, been rounded up while investigations continue.
The bunch of Italian tax official rogues are:
- Anna Maria Corsi, 70, an ex-employee of Italy’s Agenzia delle Entrate revenue service,
- Attilio Riga, 41, the head of the local Agenzia delle Entrate revenue service’s inspection team.
Also allegedly mixed up in the extortion racket are Gabriele Beltrami, 70 anni, who stood for election as a mayor, and his wife, Vanna Montanari, 61 anni, plus one Giovina Palazzo, 55.
How Did the Scam Work?
After the tax situation of local tax payers had been subject to checks, one the the band of dodgy tax office officials would contact the tax payers concerned and hint that upon payment of a certain sum, the tax irregularities would cease to exist.
This lucrative little system was going rather well until a local restaurant owner reported a request for a €10,000 payment to police and investigations kicked off.
It was revealed that the dodgy officials scanned computer records for potential victims and when one was identified, a request for cash was made.
Total Number of Victims Unknown
Exactly how many people have fallen victim to this band of dishonest tax collectors is unknown and investigators have appealed for other victims of the extortion racket to come forward. The age of those involved in the extortion scheme suggests it had been operating for a good few years.
For allegedly extorting cash from tax payers, the dishonest tax collectors of Reggio Emilia earn themselves the not so coveted title of Italy Chronicles’ Italian Rogues of the Week.
If you’d like to read more about Italy’s rogues, click here: Rogues of the Week on Italy Chronicles
The list of Italian rogues continues to grow; nominating two or three a week would be no great problem, alas.
