Protecting yourself from scams to improve financial inclusion

Opening a bank account, using a mobile banking app, making a bank transfer, sending money abroad: these are actions that are part of the daily life of millions of people. For those who arrive in Italy and face a new financial system for the first time, however, they can be obstacles that risk excluding part of the population from full participation in the country’s economic life.

Scams make this path even harder, as they fuel distrust of digital tools that are now essential for managing money independently and accessing financial services.

Messages that seem to come from the bank, phone calls asking for a security code, websites identical to official ones, requests to share login details or personal documents. If these scams manage to deceive even people who have been using banking services for many years, it is easy to imagine how treacherous they can be for those who are learning a new language and finding their way in an unfamiliar financial system.

Meanwhile, bank and digital fraud becomes more sophisticated every year, making it increasingly hard to recognise.

That is why the Financial literacy toolkit for asylum seekers and refugees, produced by the Italian Council for Refugees as part of the PAF – Financial Literacy Programme project, devotes an entire chapter to preventing bank and digital scams.

What this means for asylum seekers and refugees

For those with limited Italian, understanding a communication from the bank or telling a genuine message from a fraudulent one can be particularly difficult. The same applies to those using services such as online banking, payment apps or digital wallets for the first time.

In these situations, it takes very little to make a mistake: clicking on a link, sharing a password or giving out a code received by text message.

The problem, however, is not only limited financial literacy. Language skills also come into play. Spotting grammatical errors, unusual wording or strange requests – elements that often reveal a scam attempt – requires a good command of Italian.

During the meetings held as part of the PAF project, from focus groups to the Info Cafés organised with asylum seekers and refugees, it emerged that negative experiences of this kind can undermine trust in financial tools. After falling victim to a scam, or even just fearing it, many people prefer to give up using services that could instead support their autonomy, and continue to depend on help desks, social workers or the help of friends and acquaintances.

What’s in the toolkit

That is why it is important for asylum seekers and refugees to have the tools they need to recognise official communications and protect themselves from fraudulent ones.

With the Toolkit, we have tried to gather practical, easy-to-use information, going beyond simply explaining how financial services work. The aim is to provide the essential elements to use them safely and consciously.

The guide describes the main types of fraud – from phishing to smishing – explains how to recognise them and what to do to protect your personal data. It also recalls some simple prevention rules:

• never share your PIN or passwords;
• use two-factor authentication;
• be wary of emails or messages asking for personal data;
• check your account transactions regularly.

More security means more accessibility

Financial education is not only about knowing banking products or learning to manage a household budget. It also means being able to use these tools safely, reducing the risk of falling victim to fraud and scams.

For asylum seekers and refugees this requires particular attention. Language barriers, limited familiarity with the Italian banking system and, in many cases, digital skills that are still being developed can increase exposure to scams.

That is why the Toolkit uses simple language, avoids technical terms when they are not necessary and offers concrete examples, with the aim of turning complex information into tools that are genuinely useful in everyday life.

Financial inclusion also means being able to use financial services with confidence, autonomy and awareness.