Finance
Bank of Italy warns over deepfake video scams using Governor Panetta
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 26, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 26, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 26, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 26, 2026
Bank of Italy warned of deepfake content falsely showing Governor Fabio Panetta endorsing investments. It filed a complaint and urged the public to distrust, not share, and avoid engaging with such material.
MILAN, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The Bank of Italy on Thursday warned of potential scams involving fake articles, images and videos in which Governor Fabio Panetta appears on well-known TV shows or other media platforms, sometimes endorsing investment products.
The central bank said it had filed a complaint with judicial authorities to protect the public from possible fraud and to safeguard both the institution and the governor's reputation.
It said the material was entirely fabricated, and in several cases created using artificial-intelligence techniques commonly known as deepfakes - digitally manipulated audio or video designed to convincingly imitate real people.
(Reporting by Valentina Za. Editing by Mark Potter)
The Bank of Italy warned about deepfake videos and articles falsely depicting Governor Fabio Panetta endorsing investment products, urging the public to be cautious.
They create realistic videos and posts that imitate Panetta to lend credibility to fraudulent investment pitches, aiming to mislead viewers into engaging or investing.
Check the Bank of Italy’s official website and verified social channels. Do not trust unsolicited videos or requests and avoid sharing suspicious content.
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