Fake fines sent from real, hacked official mailboxes

A traffic-fine notice arrives from a genuine certified mailbox — because it was hacked. The sender passes every check; the payment link doesn’t.

What it looks like

Certified email · Municipal police ✓

Notice of traffic violation. Amount due: €198 (€268 after 5 days). Pay securely through the national payments portal: [link]

How it usually ends

The mailbox was real, so filters and the “verified” tick said yes. The payment portal was a copy, and the card was used again the next day.

Red flags

A fine you’ve never heard of, with a higher amount if you’re late
The link leaves the authority’s official domains
Hundreds of other addresses in copy

A real case

In October 2026 Italy’s CERT-AGID found fake pagoPA fine demands (€198, €268 if late) sent from real, hacked certified (PEC) mailboxes, each with about 340 addresses in copy.

What to do

Look the fine up yourself on the official portal or with the issuing office.
Remember: a genuine sender doesn’t make a link safe.
Report the message to your national CERT or police.

Could you spot it in the moment?

In Painted Sky you’re born at random somewhere on Earth and live a whole life — and this scam is one of the fakes that can find you. Make the call yourself, then replay the same life with a lens that shows what was fake.

Play Painted Sky — free →