A network of 41 fake nutritionists, operating without a valid degree and putting patients' health at risk, was dismantled by the Florence Financial Police at the end of Operation Vera Salus.
The investigation, coordinated by the Florence Prosecutor's Office, uncovered a system of fictitious "degrees" sold online and required the deployment of over 200 military personnel in ten regions: Campania, Lombardy, Puglia, Piedmont, Sicily, Tuscany, Lazio, Veneto, Calabria, and Umbria.
The title factory
The investigation, conducted by the Empoli-based company, began with the identification of two pseudo-university structures located in Empoli and Montespertoli. According to investigators, the structures were linked to a single Tuscan entrepreneur who had devised an ingenious system to circumvent the law: through a Swiss university, created specifically for the purpose, he sold supposed academic qualifications online, including a degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition.
Dozens of people from all over Italy signed up, confident they would receive a valid qualification to practice.
Confirmation from the Ministry
The house of cards collapsed when the finance police asked the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) for clarification. The answer was clear: neither the Tuscan institutions nor the associated Swiss university were authorized to issue academic qualifications with legal value in Italy.
National legislation, in fact, is extremely strict: the profession of nutritionist can only be practiced by individuals with degrees from recognized universities and registered with the Order of Biologists or, alternatively, with the Order of Physicians, Dieticians, or Pharmacists. None of the 41 people under investigation met these requirements.
From diets to doping
Despite their total illegality, the fake professionals acted like genuine specialists. The investigation, based on social media monitoring, local checks, and shadowing, confirmed that the 41 practiced their profession in a variety of settings: from well-equipped medical offices (often rented specifically for the occasion) to gyms specializing in bodybuilding, to remote consultations conducted from their homes.
The danger to patients was real. The suspects didn't limit themselves to providing generic advice, but administered personalized nutrition plans, prescribed supplements, proteins, amino acids, and, in some confirmed cases, potentially doping substances, exposing their "patients" to serious health risks.
Seizures and blacked out sites
The operation concluded with the seizure of five professional offices used for the illegal activity and 41 fake academic qualifications. The Guardia di Finanza also sealed the headquarters of the pseudo-universities, where diplomas and theses were found ready to be delivered to new "students." To prevent further enrollment, the organization's websites were blocked.
The activity, the Guardia di Finanza emphasizes, confirms the Corps' ongoing commitment to protecting public health and combating deceptive practices that, exploiting a false appearance of scientific expertise, threaten the safety of citizens.
Chronicles of Campania
Naples, the ghost degree factory: 500 fake degrees. Pippo Franco (unaware of the fraud) is also involved.
Naples – A ghost university, lacking any ministerial accreditation, capable of churning out over five hundred academic degrees in twenty years, collecting annual fees…
It's incredible that there are people selling fake degrees, but at the same time, I wonder how so many people have believed these promises. Health is important, and you have to be careful who you trust.