Online fraud in Romania: nearly 5 million euros hidden from MMA streaming subscriptions

Romanian tax authorities have uncovered a large-scale scheme for hiding revenue from online subscription services, in which nearly 5 million euros from monthly fees and access codes for mixed martial arts streaming have "disappeared".

The case was described by the local media outlet "HotNews", which notes that the fraudsters seem to have applied the principle of "if you want to hide something, put it in plain sight" – the service was openly advertised and widely used, but the revenue from it was not declared.

According to the General Anti-Fraud Directorate, the company behind the platform managed to attract a large and loyal audience – an average of over 30,000 subscribers every month. While the MMA event streaming service itself was legal, the path of the money turned out to be completely opaque: the profits were not officially registered and, consequently, the due taxes were not paid.

The model, according to Romanian authorities, is typical for the era of dominant online services, where digital receipts are rarely issued, and the declaration of income remains entirely in the hands of the merchant. This opens up a wide field for abuses and the concealment of actual turnover.

Checks show that the hidden revenue was not limited to subscriptions alone. In joint activity with two other companies, the operators of the streaming service also profited from referring subscribers to a gambling site, with money from the increased traffic to the betting platform also not being declared to the tax authorities.

The National Agency for Fiscal Administration of Romania announced that it will strengthen checks on online businesses and streaming services within the country. The institution emphasizes that the goal is not only to collect the due taxes but also to protect fair competition from dishonest market players.