The saga involving the well-known influencer continues to make headlines. Chiara Ferragni is accused of aggravated fraud for misleading advertising during the 2022 Christmas season with the “Pandoro Balocco Pink Christmas, Limited Edition” and the 2021 and 2022 Easter campaigns “Chiara Ferragni Easter Eggs – Supporting Bambini delle Fate.” The Milan Prosecutor’s Office has concluded its investigation, giving the defense 20 days to present evidence of innocence. If this doesn’t happen, Ferragni will go to trial.
A brief overview of the Pandoro-Gate and the Easter eggs
Pandoro-Gate burst onto the scene like lightning out of a clear sky. In collaboration with Balocco, Chiara Ferragni promoted a branded pandoro, sold at three times the price of a regular one. According to the campaign, proceeds were supposed to go toward research on osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma. However, investigations revealed that Balocco had already donated €50,000 months before the campaign, while Ferragni pocketed almost €1 million instead of donating it to charity. The case quickly garnered national attention, becoming known as Pandoro-Gate.
If you want to learn more and read the full version of the facts, click here: Pandoro-Gate: Recap of Chiara Ferragni’s Media Controversy
The Easter eggs case
Further investigations uncovered additional irregularities. As early as Easter 2021 and 2022, Ferragni had been the face of a similar campaign for Dolci Preziosi chocolate eggs. In that case, only €36,000 were donated to charity, while Ferragni earned €500,000 in 2021 and €700,000 in 2022.
Chiara Ferragni accused of continued and aggravated fraud
She is not the only one facing accusations; her collaborator Fabio Damato, Alessandra Balocco, head of the Balocco confectionery company, and Franco Cannillo of the Dolci Preziosi brand are also implicated.
“Chiara Ferragni trusts in the work of the judiciary and hopes her innocence will be proven soon. We believe this matter has no criminal relevance and that the controversial issues have already been addressed and resolved with the Antitrust Authority. We will initiate a dialogue with the public prosecutors as soon as possible and are confident of a positive resolution to the case,” said Ferragni’s lawyers, Giuseppe Iannaccone and Marcello Bana, in a statement.
Despite the alleged confidence of her defense team, the situation seems quite complex. The Milan prosecutor’s office claims not only that Ferragni misled consumers, unlawfully gaining around €2.2 million through two promotional campaigns, but also that she benefited from an immeasurable boost to her public image.
Possible refund for consumers?
Refunding each buyer is more of a formality than a necessity, as it would be impossible to compensate the over 290,000 pandoros sold in 2022. However, Codacons (the Coordination of Associations for the Defense of the Environment and Consumer Rights) has already announced that, in the event of a trial, Ferragni will be required to return €1.65 million to the purchasers of the branded pandoro. Should the trial proceed, it will be possible to file a refund claim.
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