Italian police in Campobasso have dismantled a criminal ring that sold fake pathways to permanent residency for South American tourists. According to the DIGOS investigative unit, five Italy-based dual nationals lured at least twenty Argentine citizens into Italy on valid 90-day tourist visas, then promised to convert those visas into permanent work permits for fees ranging from €1,500 to €5,000.
Operating from a storefront presented as a “personal-services agency”, the suspects advertised on Spanish-language social media, complete with a public price list for each stage of the purported immigration service. Investigators say the group fabricated job offers and forged supporting documents to persuade clients they could meet Italy’s strict **Decreto Flussi** quotas, even though tourist-visa holders are not legally eligible to apply for work permits while in the country.
![Campobasso Police Bust €5,000 Residence-Permit Scam Targeting Argentine Nationals]()
The scheme left victims in irregular status after their visa expiry dates, exposing them to fines, expulsion and a ten-year re-entry ban. Prosecutors have charged the five organisers with aggravated fraud and facilitation of illegal immigration; financial-crime investigators are tracing proceeds for asset seizure.
For global-mobility managers the case is an important compliance reminder: converting visitors to employees is impossible without first obtaining the appropriate national (D) visa abroad. Companies risk criminal liability if they engage external “fixers” who promise shortcuts through Italy’s quota system. Employees on short-term business trips should be told explicitly that work-permit applications must start at an Italian consulate, never in-country.
Labour-intensive regions such as Molise, which struggle to attract authorised seasonal workers, are likely to see more fraud as Italy prepares to open nearly 165,000 extra-EU work permits in January 2026 under the new three-year quota plan. Human-resource departments should verify that any third-party immigration adviser is licensed and that fees are paid directly to official government portals, not private intermediaries.
Operating from a storefront presented as a “personal-services agency”, the suspects advertised on Spanish-language social media, complete with a public price list for each stage of the purported immigration service. Investigators say the group fabricated job offers and forged supporting documents to persuade clients they could meet Italy’s strict **Decreto Flussi** quotas, even though tourist-visa holders are not legally eligible to apply for work permits while in the country.
The scheme left victims in irregular status after their visa expiry dates, exposing them to fines, expulsion and a ten-year re-entry ban. Prosecutors have charged the five organisers with aggravated fraud and facilitation of illegal immigration; financial-crime investigators are tracing proceeds for asset seizure.
For global-mobility managers the case is an important compliance reminder: converting visitors to employees is impossible without first obtaining the appropriate national (D) visa abroad. Companies risk criminal liability if they engage external “fixers” who promise shortcuts through Italy’s quota system. Employees on short-term business trips should be told explicitly that work-permit applications must start at an Italian consulate, never in-country.
Labour-intensive regions such as Molise, which struggle to attract authorised seasonal workers, are likely to see more fraud as Italy prepares to open nearly 165,000 extra-EU work permits in January 2026 under the new three-year quota plan. Human-resource departments should verify that any third-party immigration adviser is licensed and that fees are paid directly to official government portals, not private intermediaries.
