Milan ATM phishing scam dupes commuter out of €140

A 29‑year‑old woman from Sicily, now living in Milan, fell victim to a fake SMS that appeared to be from the city’s public‑transport operator ATM. The message warned of a “tap‑out error” and asked her to click a link to settle a €1.50 fee within 30 minutes. After three failed PayPal attempts, she received a bank notification confirming a €141.5 withdrawal, which left her without a credit card, unable to pay rent or receive her salary.

ATM responded by warning customers, disabling the fraudulent links, reporting the scam to the police and posting advice such as “State attenti, non agite d’istito e piuttosto fate una chiamata prima” ("Be careful, don’t act impulsively and call first"). The company also launched a cybersecurity campaign to help users recognise and avoid similar phishing attempts.