The fraud investigation unit of the Tax Office, the FIOD, has uncovered a major fraud case involving property investments in Italy. The independent supervisory authority for savings, investment and insurance markets (AFM) had reported WSM, a property and project development company, to the Tax Office, claiming that WSM did not conform to the standards set by AFM.
WSM offered to invest in Italian real estate on behalf of 130 private investors. The financial supervisory authority suspected that return on investment was paid with money from new investors. It is estimated that up to ten million euros have been paid by private investors to WSM. The FIOD made two arrests in Amsterdam and Hilversum, after conducting searches in private homes.
