Italy faces surge in online fraud and impersonation scams

Italy is experiencing a significant rise in digital and physical fraud. In 2025, online scams and cybercrimes reached 269 million euros, a 17.4% increase from the previous year. Over the last four years, the total value of digital fraud has grown by 75.9%, totaling over 828 million euros, even as the number of reported cases remained relatively stable.

An investigation by mUp Research reveals that over 1.8 million Italians were victims of or targeted by bank account fraud in a single year, resulting in estimated losses exceeding 1.1 billion euros. Common methods include phishing emails (36%) and SMS scams (34.4%), with increasing use of instant messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. Notably, the 25-44 age demographic shows higher involvement rates than the elderly.

Law enforcement has intercepted several sophisticated impersonation schemes. In multiple instances, criminals posed as Carabinieri officers via video calls—sometimes using AI to alter their faces—to convince elderly victims to hand over jewelry and cash under the pretext of investigating alleged robberies. Recent police operations in Cremona and Nervi have led to the arrest and conviction of individuals using similar tactics to defraud senior citizens.