Over one million euros defrauded through online trading in the Sassari area in 2025.

This fact was highlighted at a meeting organized by the Monte Oro Lions Club in the Angioy Hall of the Provincial Palace in Sassari. The conference focused on cyber-fraud , and the methods used were explained by Superintendent Antonio Polo and Inspector Michele Delogu of the Postal Police, with the assistance of legal scholar Riccardo Frau.

It was highlighted that several scams are carried out using methods such as phishing and spoofing, carried out over the phone and online, or in person, as in the case of those who show up at the homes of potential victims pretending to be police officers or lawyers and demanding money by claiming that their relatives are in prison.

A case study emerges that highlights the ability of scammers to act on people's weaknesses, working on their fear and anxiety but also on their greed, which is often difficult to control with reasoning.

The recent romance scams that have occurred in the province of Sassari are shocking, such as the woman who left her family because she was in contact on Facebook with a man who pretended to be the actor Johnny Depp and who had promised to marry her .

In exchange for money, again, there was also the story of another woman who thought she was “engaged” to the singer Francesco Renga or Can Yaman , the interpreter of Sandokan, and had sent the former 14 thousand euros because “he had said he was going through a difficult time”.

Men fall into the same trap, too, by attaching themselves to women they presume exist, companions paid tens of thousands of euros in other regions or even continents , with whom they delude themselves into thinking they have a relationship.

In these circumstances, it is emphasized, an "emotional dependence" is born and one ends up sacrificing oneself in order to maintain that relationship.

Then there are scams carried out using known numbers, such as those of the police station or bank, and in which money is often obtained by obtaining sensitive data.

"But the bank will never ask for your PIN ," the two agents warn. No one is immune to these scams, especially the elderly, but also those who should have the necessary immunity to avoid scams, as in the case of the senior executive "robbed" of €100,000 online .

Social media continues to be the preferred bait, with Facebook attracting those aged 40 and over, while TikTok and Instagram are used to capture younger people.

And it's precisely in relation to young people that another scam has become known. Hired to like and share videos, they receive an agreed-upon wage but instead receive a much higher one, and are told it's a mistake that can be remedied by transferring the money to other accounts. "But that way," the police explain, " you could end up charged with money laundering."

One final negative note: illicitly stolen money most often ends up in cryptocurrencies, making recovery impossible , even for law enforcement.

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