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Scams in Italy: what to watch for right now

A plain summary of the scams official agencies in Italy warn about most, with the latest published figures and the fastest way to get help.

By the TapSafely editorial teamUpdated

The numbers

Fraudulent bank transfers made through Italian payment providers were worth about 81.2 million euros in the first half of 2025.

Banca d'Italia

In the first half of 2025, fraud where the victim was manipulated into paying made up 74% of the value and 64% of the number of all bank transfer frauds in Italy.

Banca d'Italia

CERT-AGID identified 3,620 malicious campaigns targeting Italy in 2025, including 1,922 phishing campaigns.

CERT-AGID, Agenzia per l'Italia Digitale

Scams to watch for in Italy

Common in Italy

Fake bank staff and spoofed calls

Banca d'Italia says manipulating the payer is the main type of bank transfer fraud, with criminals posing as bank staff, relatives or friends and creating urgency so victims send the money themselves.

How to spot it
Common in Italy

Fake INPS texts

CERT-AGID found INPS was the most common theme in smishing campaigns in 2025, with 59 campaigns. One asked for ID documents, pay slips and a face video that can be used to open fake digital identities.

How to spot it
Common in Italy

Fake traffic fine payment requests

CERT-AGID has warned about emails and texts using the pagoPA name to demand payment of fake traffic fines and steal card details, and it counted 328 pagoPA-themed phishing campaigns in 2025.

How to spot it
Common in Italy

Fake tax refund messages

The Agenzia delle Entrate issued repeated warnings in 2025, including in February, August, November and December, about fake messages promising tax refunds in its name.

How to spot it
Common in Italy

Fake online trading and crypto sites

CONSOB has blocked 1,757 unauthorised investment websites since July 2019, and warns about cloned websites, fake social media profiles of politicians and celebrities, and AI-generated images, voices and videos.

How to spot it

Who scammers pretend to be

BanksINPSAgenzia delle EntratepagoPA and the police (fake fines)Banca d'ItaliaPoliticians and celebrities (fake investment ads)

Never trust a call, text or email just because it uses one of these names. Contact the organisation using details you find yourself.

If you've been scammed in Italy

  1. Contact your bank straight away to block your cards or account and ask for your money back.
  2. Report the fraud to the Polizia Postale through its online service at commissariatodips.it, or in person at a Polizia Postale office, bringing the messages and payment details.
  3. If your bank refuses or does not answer your written complaint, you can take the case to the Arbitro Bancario Finanziario at arbitrobancariofinanziario.it.
  4. Before investing, check the firm and CONSOB's warnings at consob.it.

Where to report a scam in Italy

Reviewed 2026-09-16. Services change, so check the official site if a link doesn't work.

Scam Weather for Italy

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Questions

What are the most common scams in Italy?

According to official sources: Fake bank staff and spoofed calls, Fake INPS texts, Fake traffic fine payment requests, Fake tax refund messages, Fake online trading and crypto sites.

What should I do first if I've been scammed in Italy?

Contact your bank straight away to block your cards or account and ask for your money back. Report the fraud to the Polizia Postale through its online service at commissariatodips.it, or in person at a Polizia Postale office, bringing the messages and payment details.

Who do scammers pretend to be in Italy?

Official warnings mention Banks, INPS, Agenzia delle Entrate, pagoPA and the police (fake fines), Banca d'Italia, Politicians and celebrities (fake investment ads).

Official sources and further reading

Figures and warnings on this page come from these official sources.