A phone call, a moment of distraction, and thousands of euros disappeared. Behind telephone scams there is a precise psychological mechanism, which plays on haste rather than naivety. The data tells us who really falls into the trap, and why no one reports it.
The telephone scams they affect more and more Italians: in the last year over 3.2 million people have been victims of fraud or an attempted fraud linked to fixed or mobile telephony, for a total damage estimated at 731 million euros. The data emerges from a survey conducted for Facile.it by the mUp Research institute, Norstat.
The phenomenon is not new, but it has become more sophisticated. Alongside the classic fake technicians knocking on the door, in recent months the vishingcalls in which the scammer impersonates a bank operator or law enforcement official, and the spoofingthe technique that causes a different number to appear on the display than the real one.
It is no coincidence that from 19 November 2025 Agcom activated an anti-spoofing filter which, in just eleven days, blocked approximately 49.3 million illicit calls coming from abroad with counterfeit Italian numbers.
Scammers’ favorite channels
The most exploited channel remains the fake call centre, used in 67% of cases linked to landline telephony and in 44.2% of those on mobile. This is followed by fraudulent emails (33% landline, 32.6% mobile) and SMS, which weigh more on mobile (25.6%) than landline (16.5%).
For smartphones, almost one in four attempts today passes through instant messaging app. The average damage stops at 209 euros for landline telephony and 176 euros for mobile telephony, figures not very high but sufficient to discourage reporting.
Who falls into the net, and why they don’t say it
The victim’s profile belies the stereotype. On mobile, it is above all young people who get stuck: if the national average stands at 6%, between 25 and 34 years old it rises to 8.7%, while between 18 and 24 years old it reaches the 10.7%. On the fixed line, however, the most exposed group is between 35 and 44 years old (5.1% against the national 3.2%).
Curiously, those with a degree are scammed more than twice as often as the average: a sign that telephone deception plays more on haste and psychological pressure than on ignorance. More than half of those defrauded, the 59.4%never filed a complaint. The most cited reason was that the economic damage was considered too low (45.7%), followed by the embarrassment of feeling naive (10.1%) and the desire not to let family and friends know (7.8%).
The handbook in five steps
Facile.it has developed an essential handbook to recognize the most common pitfalls.
No cash to technicians. Telephone companies never require payments on site: only bill, bank transfer or credit card. Anyone who shows up at home asking for cash must be sent away immediately.
Be careful with the migration code. If someone on the phone claims that you have unpaid bills and asks for IBAN or migration code, it is almost certainly a scam. Better to check for yourself in the reserved area of your operator.
Be wary of home meetings. Fake consultants, often in front of older people, insist on an in-person appointment using technical jargon and anglicisms. Serious companies work remotely: never set up meetings with those who call unexpectedly.
Do not call back unknown numbers which ring only once. It’s the wangiri technique: the call drops on purpose to push you to call back a special rate number. Before doing so, it is always a good idea to search for the number online.
Read the contract carefully. Modem rental costs, additional services activated without consent, declared speed different from the minimum guaranteed one: hidden details often cause more damage than the actual scam.
The lesson, in the end, is simple, no serious operator is in a hurry. Whoever puts pressure on the phone almost always has something to hide.
