During an official ceremony held a few days ago at the U.S. Consulate General in Naples, Consul General Tracy Roberts-Pounds presented the owners of the Italian company “Piazza Italia SpA” with a check for $220.000,00 (approximately 202.000 euros).
The money was recovered thanks to cooperation between the Italian Postal Police and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigation (HSI).
In May 2022, the Cyber Security Operations Center for Campania had started a substantial investigative activity related to a series of frauds carried out using the Business Email Compromise (BEC) technique, including a scam against the Italian clothing company “Piazza Italia SpA”, with registered office in Milan and operational headquarters in the Naples area.
The investigations led to the United States, so the Naples Office, through the Central Postal Police Service, requested international support.
Working closely with Homeland Security Investigation officials at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, investigators obtained an immediate freeze on the stolen funds. Based on information provided by Italian investigators, HSI opened an investigation into the bank account used by the perpetrators of the fraud, which revealed additional funds obtained by defrauding other non-Italian companies.
Aided by technology, cybercriminals are able to operate anywhere, striking across the globe. BEC is one of the fastest growing cybercrimes, using actions such as social engineering, spoofed emails, and cyber breaches that trick businesses into sending money to criminal organizations in the form of corporate payments.
Only through international cooperation can law enforcement agencies address the challenges posed by international criminal organizations in the cyber arena. Through global collaboration, HSI and the State Police help ensure the national security of travel, trade, and finance in Italy and the United States, including in the digital sphere.
During the ceremony, Consul General Roberts-Pounds stated: "The collaboration between our justice systems and our police forces has always been a hallmark of the friendship and mutual trust between our two countries. Today, we are pleased to be able to return to the representatives of the Neapolitan company Piazza Italia SpA a sum of money stolen through cyber fraud, recovered thanks to the joint investigation between New England Homeland Security Investigation and the Naples Postal Police.
I would like to take this opportunity to point out that this is just one of many examples of the strong collaboration between the United States and Italy in the judicial field, which also includes the recovery of Italian cultural assets stolen and illegally sold abroad, and frequent operations to combat mafias and international drug trafficking. We are proud of our partnership with Italy in defense of our common values such as democracy, freedom and legality, and we continue to commit to collaborating with the Italian authorities to defend the safety of our citizens.”
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