Money laundering: virtual cryptocurrencies and IBANs are increasingly being used
In 2025, the FIU received 162,059 reports, an increase of 11.5% compared with the previous year: this growth was driven mainly by new reporting entities, particularly online banks, and was largely linked to cyber scams and fraud
Suspicious transactions are increasingly taking place online. In 2025, the FIU received 162,059 reports, 11.5% more than the previous year: a rise driven mainly by new reporting entities, particularly online banks, and largely linked to cyber scams and fraud. This is the key finding of the Financial Intelligence Unit’s Annual Report for Italia, presented by Director Enzo Serata. Fewer reports classified as low or no risk, faster submission times, but also a critical issue: automated models aid analysis, but are not always properly monitored. And in some cases, they produce information that is incomplete, repetitive or inconsistent with the facts.
Online fraud, cryptocurrency and virtual IBANs: money laundering takes a new turn
Economic crime relies on methods that are faster, less visible and harder to trace. Crypto-assets, virtual IBANs, virtual cards and non-bank ATMs make money laundering routes more opaque. The widespread use of digital channels has gone hand in hand with a rise in reports of cyber scams and fraud.
The risk is not limited to cybercrime. According to the FIU, money laundering linked to tax evasion, misuse of public funds and corruption is increasingly being carried out through specialised criminal networks capable of moving money via sophisticated transnational financial infrastructures. The aim is always the same: to cover the trail of illegally obtained funds.
Reports linked, on the basis of specific risk indicators, to organised crime accounted for around 14% of the total. However, as *L’Unità* points out, the scale of the problem is greater if one also takes into account the indirect links that can be inferred from the context.
Public procurement, renewable energy and public subsidies remain sensitive areas. Fraudulent invoicing schemes also continue to be used. The FIU’s inspection activities have also highlighted shortcomings in the obligations regarding active cooperation. Risks remain significant in the gambling and gold trading sectors, where limitations in the traceability of transactions and customer profiling are a major concern.
