WhatsApp-Nachricht: Bank-Manager fällt auf KI-Fake rein – Betrüger erbeuten 36 Millionen Euro von Intesa-Sanpaolo-Tochter

An insiders revealed that cybercriminals stole around 36 million euros from a subsidiary of Italy's largest bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Initially, the heist amounted to 95 million euros, but more than half was recovered, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The scam began in February, with former Fideuram board chairman Paolo Molesini receiving what appeared to be a WhatsApp message from Intesa Sanpaolo's CEO Carlo Messina requesting urgent assistance with an international transaction.

A subsequent phone call came from a senior partner of a well-known law firm, confirming the directive. The caller used AI to mimic the lawyer's voice. Believing the request was genuine, Molesini instructed his finance department to make a series of transfers to accounts primarily in China and Hong Kong. Intesa Sanpaolo and Fideuram declined to comment.

Fideuram detected the irregularities and alerted authorities in multiple countries. The remaining funds were laundered through a network of foreign accounts and converted into cryptocurrencies, making them untraceable. The newspaper "Corriere della Sera" initially reported on the case, leading to Molesini's resignation as board chairman in March due to personal reasons.

Neither Molesini nor other Fideuram executives are suspected, according to insiders. The Milan state prosecutor is investigating an individual residing in a non-European country on suspicion of computer fraud. In a similar incident last year, fraudsters used an AI-generated voice of an Italian minister to dupe a businessman into transferring nearly a million euros, which was eventually recovered.