Caserta. Following the intervention of the Regional Consumer Association, Poste Italiane has decided to fully refund the funds fraudulently stolen from the accounts of three account holders residents between Caserta and the province.
The refund comes after the reporting of a new fraud, in which the unfortunate victims had received letters apparently sent by Poste Italiane, but in reality false. The letters included a coupon with the PIN for a new card, which however was never delivered.
The account holders, worried, had reported the incident to the Italian Consumer Centre in Caserta, which subsequently filed a complaint with the police.
Fortunato Giaquinto, the association's regional manager, explained that the scam occurred when the postal cards were about to expire. The fake letters announced the arrival of the new card and included the PIN with a scratch-off sticker to display the number.
The same communication provided a telephone number, with prefix 06 or 02, to which recipients had to call to activate the card.
Subsequently, account holders were contacted by a fake Poste Italiane operator, who claimed that, for security reasons, it was necessary to change the PIN. If they did not make the change, their funds would be blocked.
The scammer promised that he would match the new PIN to the card himself, but to do so he required users to provide the current PIN. Once obtained, the scammers drained the accounts within a few days.
Initially, Poste Italiane had offered to refund only 50% of the stolen amounts, claiming that there was shared responsibility.
However, following objections from Giaquinto, who had expressed surprise at the scammers' access to information on card expiration dates, Poste Italiane decided to return the stolen sums in full.
Giaquinto commented with satisfaction: “This represents an important precedent for anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.” However, he stressed that the matter is not over: “The card delivery system is not at all secure.
Poste Italiane must send cards only by registered or insured mail, requiring the recipient's signature upon delivery. This is the only way to prevent cards from falling into the wrong hands and other scams from occurring.”
Article published on 18 October 2024 - 07:43
