Italy: Man reported for tampering with electronic identity card microchip

A 45-year-old worker from Foligno has been reported to the Public Prosecutor's Office in Macerata for material forgery after tampering with his electronic identity card (CIE). The incident occurred when the man presented himself at a Carabinieri station to seek clarification regarding a traffic violation.

Officers noticed a structural anomaly in the plastic card: a clean, square hole where the microchip should have been, indicating the deliberate removal of the electronic circuit. The document was seized for technical and judicial examination.

Authorities noted that tampering with electronic identity cards by removing the microchip is a recurring phenomenon increasing in frequency across Italy. Investigations are focused on whether these altered documents are being used to create false identities or to evade electronic controls and digital verification systems.