INNOVATION • Article • Jan 21th 2025
Plenitude's new Data Platform model
Read more
How to protect yourself from online scams
There are different types of digital fraud that often exploit users' good faith. Protecting yourself is possible: here are some tips.
25 February 2025
An email warns of a sum to be reimbursed. A request for IBAN, password, and other personal data. It’s just the beginning. For the unfortunate victim, it starts a long, costly, and often, especially in the case of more vulnerable individuals, a distressing ordeal. The world of online scams is, unfortunately, complex and constantly evolving. For this reason, the first message to convey is addressed to the victims: do not feel ashamed or discouraged falling for a scam is a mishap that can happen to anyone, regardless of age or vulnerabilities.
The most common online scams
The main methods of online scams occur through phishing campaigns, as well as through vishing (phone calls) and smishing (SMS or messaging platforms), targeting not only individuals but also large corporations.
Deceptive communications, no matter the medium used to reach the user, aim to obtain personal and sensitive data, access passwords, and credit card numbers, which can then be used to commit crimes against property. Falling for these scams is easy: through social engineering techniques and spoofing (a specific method to mask the caller's actual phone number by replacing it with trusted numbers), cybercriminals make their victims act urgently and believe in the authenticity of their requests.
Protecting yourself is possible by gaining awareness of the risks of using new communication technologies and following simple digital education rules.
This is why Eni and Plenitude, in collaboration with the State Police, have launched a campaign to combat fraudulent attempts to deceive their customers, for example, by exploiting their name and logo.
The phishing threat
Phishing is the most widespread digital scam and involves using various messages that mimic trusted or official communications, such as emails from a company, a well-known organization, or a family member.
Fraudulent initiatives are varied, and attempts to imitate Eni and Plenitude’s communications and domains have been recorded:
- Via email with messages where someone, posing as the company, asks for a credit card number or other personal data, such as a password.
- Via WhatsApp with requests to pay supposedly unpaid bills.
- Via SMS asking, for example, to send a copy of an invoice, data, or passwords to verify potential arrears.
These are the most common, but scammers' ingenuity knows no bounds, so you must always be cautious. Fortunately, it’s possible to protect yourself by taking some simple precautions.
Defense strategies
First of all, check the sender—not just the name that appears in the email but the domain extension it comes from. Emails from Plenitude, for example, will have the extension eniplenitude.com.
If the message contains a link, be very careful: before opening it, check the sender and the link itself. By hovering the mouse over the link without clicking, you can check the landing address: if it’s not an official Eni or Plenitude domain, don’t trust it.
Be wary of attachments too: extensions such as .exe, .zip, .rar, and .xls might actually contain viruses. Plenitude only sends attachments in PDF format. Finally, never provide private information such as passwords or tax codes.
Other signs of fraudulent behavior can also be found in the messages themselves: they often contain mistakes, even glaring ones, and have uncertain or poorly constructed syntax.
Plenitude helps you verify
Plenitude provides a guide in the Customer Area and App that outlines how to report a suspected scam. There’s also the chat feature on the website www.eniplenitude.com, ideal for immediately resolving any doubts.
What about other scams?
Phishing and other fraudulent practices online do not exhaust the range of possible scams, which can also involve more traditional channels, such as door-to-door visits or phone calls. In this regard, Plenitude provides effective tools to verify, for example, both an agent's actual mandate and the origin of a phone number. Door-to-door sales representatives must have an ID badge indicating their agency, making it easier to identify them, while technical support staff only visit by appointment.
For phone calls, their origin from Plenitude can be verified on the website by entering the caller's number. For any suspicions or negative experiences, the public can use a Toll-Free Number (800.689.829) in addition to the chat.
Stay updated on possible fraud methods and discover how to protect yourself here. For reports or information requests, you can always contact the State Police, including through the official website of the Postal Police, dedicated exclusively to online safety.
Link copied successfully
Share:
/SVG/link.svg)
You may be interested in
Digital transformation
1 /
