Online Scams in Italy: Complete Guide 2026
Italy's Polizia Postale (Postal Police, which handles cybercrime) investigated over 18,000 cases of online fraud in 2025, with total reported losses exceeding €600 million. Italy's growing digital economy, combined with widespread use of Poste Italiane's financial services and the PostePay prepaid card system, creates unique vulnerabilities that scammers exploit aggressively.
Poste Italiane and PostePay Scams
Poste Italiane is Italy's postal service, but it's also a major financial services provider through BancoPosta and PostePay. This dual role means a single phishing message can target both postal and banking customers. Fake messages about blocked PostePay cards, suspicious BancoPosta transactions, and undelivered packages are the top phishing threats.
"PostePay: Il suo conto è stato temporaneamente sospeso per motivi di sicurezza. Verifichi la sua identità al seguente link per riattivare i servizi: [phishing link]" — A PostePay phishing text. Poste Italiane never requests identity verification through text message links.
Access PostePay and BancoPosta services only through the official Poste Italiane app or poste.it.
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Agenzia delle Entrate (Tax Agency) Scams
Fake communications from the Agenzia delle Entrate claim tax refunds are available or that penalties are due. PEC (certified email) addresses are sometimes spoofed to add credibility. The Agenzia delle Entrate communicates officially through its cassetto fiscale (tax drawer) portal.
Banking Scams
Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, BNL, Mediolanum, and other Italian banks face impersonation. The "vishing" call variant is particularly effective: scammers call from spoofed bank numbers, identify themselves as bank security, and walk victims through transferring money to "safe accounts." Some even reference recent legitimate transactions (gleaned from compromised data) to build credibility.
INPS (Social Security) Scams
Fake messages from INPS (Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale) promise bonus payments, pension adjustments, or Reddito di Cittadinanza updates. These target the elderly and vulnerable populations who depend on INPS services. INPS communicates through its official portal and MyINPS app.
Marketplace and E-commerce Scams
Subito.it, Italy's largest classified platform, faces fake buyer and seller scams. Facebook Marketplace fraud is also prevalent. Common scams include advance payment for items that don't exist, fake shipping confirmations, and phishing links disguised as Subito's secure payment system.
Reporting Scams in Italy
- Polizia Postale: commissariatodips.it — online reports
- Carabinieri: File a denuncia at your local stazione
- AGCM: Consumer protection — agcm.it
- CERT-AGID: Government cybersecurity incidents
For any suspicious message claiming to come from Poste Italiane, your bank, or a government agency, verify it with IsThisAScam.
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