How to Report Cybercrime in Italy (and Get Your Money Back)

Quick answer: If you are in immediate danger or a fraud is happening right now, call 112 (the single European emergency number; you can also reach the Polizia di Stato on 113 or the Carabinieri on 112). To report online fraud, file a report through the Polizia Postale e per la Sicurezza Cibernetica at commissariatodips.it, and lodge a formal pre-complaint (denuncia) via denunceonline.poliziadistato.it using SPID or CIE. Call your bank's fraud line immediately to freeze the account and try to recall the transfer. Under EU PSD2 (transposed in Italy by D.Lgs. 11/2010), your bank must refund unauthorised payments, and your own liability before you report is capped at EUR 50.

What to do in 3 steps

1. Call your bank now. Phone the fraud or emergency line on the back of your card to block the card or account and ask them to recall (storno) the payment. The faster you act, the better the chance the money is still recoverable.
2. Report to the Polizia Postale. Submit a report at commissariatodips.it and file a formal denuncia online at denunceonline.poliziadistato.it (login with SPID or CIE), or in person at any police station or Carabinieri post. Keep the receipt of your denuncia.
3. Dispute the charge in writing (reclamo). Send your bank a written complaint formally disowning (disconoscere) the unauthorised transaction and requesting a refund. If they refuse or stay silent, escalate to the Arbitro Bancario Finanziario.

How recovery actually works

Recovery is realistic but not guaranteed, and speed matters most. If the payment was genuinely unauthorised and your bank cannot prove you authorised it with strong customer authentication (SCA), the law requires a refund by the end of the next business day, and the bank can refuse only by proving fraud or gross negligence on your part. If you authorised the transfer yourself because you were deceived, the bank may try to recall the funds from the receiving bank, but success depends on whether the money is still there. Filing the police denuncia quickly and complaining to your bank in writing are what preserve your rights and your evidence.

What to have ready

• Your IBAN and the account or card involved
• Date, time, amount and reference of each disputed transaction
• Screenshots of the messages, emails, websites or payment confirmations involved
• The phone numbers, email addresses, IBANs or names used by the fraudster
• Any SMS or app notifications you received about the payment
• Your SPID or CIE credentials to file the online denuncia

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to go to a police station in person? Not necessarily. You can submit a report to the Polizia Postale online at commissariatodips.it and a formal pre-denuncia at denunceonline.poliziadistato.it using SPID or CIE. For some crimes you will later be asked to confirm it at a police office, but the online filing starts the process and timestamps your complaint.

My bank refused to refund an unauthorised payment. What now? First send a written complaint (reclamo) to the bank. If it does not reply within the deadline (generally 60 days, or 15 business days for payment services) or the answer is unsatisfactory, you can file a free claim with the Arbitro Bancario Finanziario (ABF), the Bank of Italy's dispute body, within 12 months of your complaint. You do not need a lawyer.

Will I get my money back if I sent the transfer myself after being tricked? There is no automatic refund for authorised push-payment scams, but report it anyway. Your bank may be able to recall the funds if they are still in the recipient account, and the police denuncia is essential for any chance of recovery or prosecution.

Sources

• Polizia Postale e per la Sicurezza Cibernetica (Commissariato di P.S. online)
• Polizia di Stato: denuncia vie web online reporting
• Banca d'Italia: operazioni di pagamento non autorizzate
• Banca d'Italia: Arbitro Bancario Finanziario (ABF)
• Arbitro Bancario Finanziario: how to file a ricorso

For step-by-step reporting and recovery guides covering other countries, see our cybercrime help hub.