The contours of a spy scandal are becoming increasingly clear as reports emerge of unauthorized access to the bank accounts of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, her sister Arianna, head of political secretariat for the Brothers of Italy (FdI), and others, including journalist Andrea Giambruno, Senate President Ignazio La Russa, and ministers Guido Crosetto and Daniela Santanché. While an investigation is ongoing, it remains premature to conclude whether this constitutes organized dossier activity, following the unauthorized accesses carried out by a disloyal employee of Intesa Sanpaolo, who was dismissed in August after the bank discovered the illegal activity.
Investigators are currently examining the case, which is being pursued under the charge of unauthorized access to an information system. In a pointed remark on X, Meloni wrote, “Give us today our daily dossier,” sharing a photo with her sister alongside a headline from Il Giornale that read, “Shocking Investigation in Bari: Accounts of Giorgia and Arianna Meloni, Crosetto, and La Russa Spied On.” The initial report, however, came from Domani, detailing an ongoing investigation in Bari regarding the ex-employee, who allegedly made nearly 7,000 unauthorized accesses to bank accounts over a span of 26 months, targeting military personnel, celebrities, and, significantly, politicians.
Defense Minister Crosetto raised critical questions regarding the extent of the dossier activity, asking, “How many dossiers have they constructed over the years? How many remain unknown? And why, at whose request, and for what purpose?” The names of those spied upon are only a fraction of the thousands of account holders whose private information was monitored by the former bank employee. Following his dismissal on August 8 due to a disciplinary proceeding, a criminal investigation was launched. The magistrates are now attempting to determine the motive behind these illegal accesses through searches, document acquisitions, and witness testimonies, leaving the question unanswered: was it mere voyeurism or something more sinister?
The investigation, which began almost by chance due to the bank’s security protocols, revealed that the employee’s behavior deviated from internal procedures and sector regulations during routine control activities. The unauthorized accesses reportedly occurred between February 21, 2022, and April 24, 2024, impacting over 3,500 customers across 679 Intesa Sanpaolo branches nationwide. Unlike previous cases that involved suspicious transaction reports from the Financial Intelligence Unit or data from judicial inquiries, this case involves sensitive and private information, such as bank account movements.
The incident has also caught the attention of the Privacy Authority, following a complaint from the bank. Lorenzo Fontana, President of the Chamber of Deputies, expressed “full solidarity” with the victims of these “serious violations of privacy,” while Deputy Justice Minister Francesco Paolo Sisto proposed preventive measures against dossier activities, likening them to a rising trend. Licia Ronzulli from Forza Italia labeled the situation as “disturbing and alarming,” whereas Augusta Montaruli of FdI noted that while the revelations are shocking, they are not surprising.
