" Dear citizen, checks carried out by our offices reveal that payment of the administrative fine for unauthorized parking has not yet been registered within the required timeframe ." This is the beginning of the scam email that has been circulating among many internet users in recent days, including in Sardinia. The sender appears to be " National Traffic Infringement System ": a trustworthy name, accompanied by the "PagoPA" logo and a well-designed interactive screen, capable of confusing even the most attentive users. The message urges you to pay an alleged €120 fine, "unpaid despite previous notices posted in your personal online space." The fine, it goes on, would rise to €360 if you fail to pay "within 48 hours."
Adiconsum Sardegna intervened in the incident after receiving numerous reports. "Clicking on the PagoPA link included in the fraudulent message redirects you to an external site, whose purpose is to steal users' bank details to steal money from victims' accounts," the association explains. Regional president Giorgio Vargiu clarifies how to recognize the scam: "The sender is not an official Italian domain (.gov.it or .it), but an address linked to a Spanish university. It's important to remember that real fines for traffic violations are never sent via email, but exclusively by registered mail or certified email. Furthermore, no administration requests online payments via generic links ."
" We urge all citizens who receive similar messages not to open links or attachments, immediately report them as phishing, and contact local Adiconsum Sardegna offices for assistance," Vargiu concludes.
