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According to a survey of internet users conducted in Italy in July 2023, 24 percent of respondents reported they felt very reluctant to share their biometrical data for face recognition with law enforcement, even if the purpose was to be better protected from online fraud. By comparison, 25 percent of Italian users reported they felt somewhat willing to share their phone's location with authorities as an online fraud deterrent method.

Online fraud cases

The growing digitalization of Italy has unfortunately been accompanied by an increase in internet fraud. In 2022, approximately 29,100 men aged between 45 and 54 years were targeted by online fraud, making it the most vulnerable demographic among Italian users. The number of online fraud cases experienced an increase between 2022 and 2023, as the Italian authorities investigated over 16,000 cases of online fraud in the last examined year. In 2023, cybercriminals and scammers embezzled over 137 million euros from targeted Italians, an increase of 20 percent compared to the previous year.

Romance scams

Romantic fraud comes with an added level of shame for the victims, who might fear public judgment and feel less likely to report their encounters to the authorities covering cybercrime and online safety. In the first half of 2023, romantic fraud cases represented approximately two percent of all frauds reported to Italian police authorities.

While the true incidence rate of romance scams might be difficult to estimate, this type of fraud led to the embezzlement of 3.46 million euros from vulnerable Italian users in the first half of 2023. Romance scams are made even more dangerous by the practice of extorting money from victims after luring them into sharing intimate images or conversations. In 2023, the Italian police conducted almost 1,500 investigations related to sexual blackmailing and sextortion.