Italy and Germany Issue Alerts Over Phishing and Investment Fraud Scams

The Italian Ministry of Health warned that fraudulent SMS and e‑mail messages are impersonating official communications about health‑card renewals in South Tyrol. The messages direct recipients to a fake website that mimics official portals and asks for personal, sensitive, and payment data. Authorities stress the health card is automatically renewed, that no official entity will request data via such links, and advise deleting suspicious messages.

Germany’s Sparkassen‑Finanzgruppe alerted customers to a wave of fraudulent investment platforms that claim to operate on behalf of Sparkasse. The scams lure victims with promises of high returns on small initial deposits (around €250), often using cryptocurrency or forex trading themes, and then push for larger transfers before the scheme collapses. The Sparkasse urges customers to verify any investment offer with their bank and to report suspected fraud.