by InTrieste
A growing wave of telephone scams is targeting residents across Friuli Venezia Giulia, exploiting psychological pressure to convince victims to hand over banking details or transfer money to fraudulent accounts.
The schemes typically rely on a simple tactic: inducing a sense of urgency. Callers often claim that a victim’s bank account is under attack or that law enforcement authorities are intervening, urging the recipient to immediately transfer funds via instant bank transfers. Once sent, the money is typically routed abroad and quickly converted into cryptocurrencies, making it increasingly difficult for investigators to trace.
According to the Postal Police in Trieste, many of these calls appear to come from trusted institutions, such as banks or law enforcement agencies. The phone numbers, however, are not genuine. Criminal groups use overseas VoIP services to “clone” official-looking numbers, rerouting them into Italy to give an air of legitimacy.
“The strategy is always the same,” officials explained. “They put pressure on the victim, convincing them that swift action is necessary to protect their savings. But in reality, it’s a trap.”
Authorities say that dozens of cases are reported every month, often only after victims have already suffered financial losses. The trend cuts across age groups and levels of education, with no particular category of person more vulnerable than another.
The Postal Police emphasize one key piece of advice: resist the pressure. Taking time to verify a caller’s identity, they warn, can make the difference between keeping one’s money safe and falling into a costly fraud.
