Legal assistance for victims of online fraud and cyber scams across Italy.

It depends on how the loss occurred. Where a banking or payment transaction was not authorised by the customer, the first step is a formal complaint to the bank or payment service provider, which may owe a refund depending on the facts, the authentication procedure applied and whether the customer acted with gross negligence. Where the customer was induced to transfer the money to the fraudster, the claim is primarily directed against the perpetrator and, where applicable, against other parties involved. The two situations follow different legal paths and cannot be treated alike.

No. There is no automatic refund. Liability is assessed on the specific facts: whether the transaction was authorised, how strong customer authentication was applied, how the intermediary handled the alert and whether the customer's conduct amounted to gross negligence or fraud. Each of these elements has to be documented before any claim is made.

A report to the authorities is not a legal precondition for every remedy, but it is often advisable: it documents the events, may support criminal investigation and traceability of the funds, and can be useful in the civil claim or in the dispute with the intermediary. Whether it is appropriate, and when, is assessed case by case.

For payment transactions, the customer must notify the intermediary without undue delay and in any event no later than 13 months from the debit date, subject to the terms and exceptions of the applicable rules and contract. Acting promptly is important because it preserves evidence and remedies; it does not in itself guarantee any particular outcome.

Contact us by telephone, email or through the online form. In an initial meeting we review the documents, reconstruct the sequence of events and set out the remedies that are actually available in your case, with a clear fee estimate before any engagement.