Church administrator is victim of email scam
Italian Police Dismantle Transnational Fraud and Money Laundering Network; Florence's Cultural Institutions Suffer Nearly €1.5 Million in Losses
Italian police announced Thursday that they successfully dismantled an international criminal organization operating in several European countries. The organization defrauded victims of approximately €30 million through sophisticated email scams, fund transfers, and money laundering methods, including the official institutions responsible for managing important cultural heritage sites in Florence.
According to police reports, the Brescia Prosecutor's Office has issued arrest warrants for 10 suspects in the criminal network, including several Italian citizens. Police said the case is still under investigation and it is possible that additional suspects will be prosecuted.
Email Scam Triggers Investigation
The investigation began with a tip from Florence's renowned cultural institution, the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore. This nonprofit organization is responsible for the maintenance, restoration, and daily management of world-renowned artistic and historical heritage sites in Florence, including the Cathedral, the Campanile, and the Baptistery.
In 2024, the institution discovered anomalous transfers in its financial system. An internal investigation confirmed that the institution had been the victim of a sophisticated Business Email Compromise (BEC) attack.
Criminals illegally accessed and monitored the institution's email correspondence over an extended period, precisely tracking communications with the contracted restoration company, payment deadlines, and transaction amounts. The fraudsters then spoofed email addresses, impersonating the partner company responsible for the restoration and conservation work, and sent false payment instructions to the institution.
Failing to detect the anomaly in time, the Superintendency of the Florence Cathedral transferred funds multiple times, as stipulated in the "contract," ultimately transferring nearly €1.8 million to bank accounts controlled by criminals.
Limited Recovery of Funds, Significant Losses
After the incident, police quickly froze some of the affected accounts and successfully recovered approximately €300,000. However, approximately €1.5 million remains unrecovered, causing significant financial losses to the cultural institution.
Police stated that the funds were repeatedly split and transferred to different countries and fictitious accounts within a very short period of time, before entering the underground financial system, increasing the difficulty of tracing and freezing them.
Discovery of a Wider Money Laundering Network
Brescia Chief Prosecutor Francesco Prete stated at a press conference that this case is not an isolated incident, but rather reveals a large-scale transnational criminal landscape.
The investigation found that the fraud network was closely linked to clandestine loan sharking and systematic money laundering activities active in Italy, particularly involving Chinese criminal organizations. These organizations used seemingly legitimate businesses such as catering, wholesale, logistics, and import/export to "launder" illicit funds, which were then reintroduced into clandestine financial networks.
Prete stated: "Money laundering activities involving Chinese criminal organizations are showing a worrying upward trend. The problem is that we often find it difficult to trace the true origin and final destination of these funds, which poses a serious threat to financial regulation and social order."
The identities of those involved have not yet been made public.
For reasons of investigative and judicial confidentiality, the police have not yet released the specific names and nationalities of those arrested or wanted. However, law enforcement has confirmed that the individuals involved are located in several Italian cities and have long-term cooperative relationships with criminal groups from other European countries.
Police emphasized that such scams are typically highly organized and professional. Criminals have in-depth knowledge of internal business processes, financial systems, and cross-border banking systems, making institutions and individuals easy targets if they let their guard down.
Official warning: Strengthen internal risk controls
Italian police and prosecutors have used this case to reiterate their warning to public institutions, companies, and non-profit organizations:
All transfer instructions involving large sums of money
