Fake WhatsApp messages lead to multimillion fraud attempt on Fideuram president
Paolo Molesini, president of Fideuram, was targeted by scammers posing as Carlo Messina and an attorney, prompting urgent wire transfers that were partially recovered.
A sophisticated fraud scheme unfolded in early 2026 when Paolo Molesini, then president of Fideuram, received a WhatsApp message that closely resembled the account of Carlo Messina, an executive at Banca Intesa. The scammers urged him to authorize urgent wire transfers, alleging they were essential to secure an international financial operation for Intesa. To add credibility, they placed additional calls using AI-generated voice to impersonate a business lawyer known to Molesini and sent convincing emails from the same legal firm.
Fideuram’s internal protection mechanisms flagged the activity, prompting swift action with the public prosecutor’s office and a Chinese banking partner, which together retrieved a large portion of the transferred funds. Following the incident, Molesini resigned from his presidency in March.
Why it matters
The case highlights how cyber-enabled impersonation can threaten high-level financial executives and underscores the need for robust fraud defenses.
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