Italian police investigate deepfake defamation and hospital theft crimes

The Carabinieri of Roccabianca filed a complaint against a 31‑year‑old man accused of defamation after he used artificial‑intelligence software to create a deepfake image that portrayed a 22‑year‑old woman as a nude prostitute. He first sent the victim a genuine photo taken in a private sports facility, then followed it with the manipulated image to damage her reputation. The woman reported the abuse to the police, who gathered chat screenshots, device data and witness statements to identify the suspect.

In a separate case, Carabinieri from Albinea charged a 38‑year‑old woman from Novi with aggravated theft and unlawful use of credit‑card data. The crime occurred at the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in Reggio Emilia when a 59‑year‑old woman’s wallet was taken from her bedside in the neurology department. The stolen cards were used for nine transactions totaling about €2,900. Investigators traced the withdrawals through ATM footage and linked them to the suspect, who was then formally accused.