- Date
- July 2024
- Where
- Italy
- Target
- A Ferrari executive
- Method
- WhatsApp messages in the CEO’s name, then a call imitating the CEO’s voice
- Outcome
- No money lost; the company opened an internal investigation
One Tuesday morning, a Ferrari executive received WhatsApp messages that appeared to come from CEO Benedetto Vigna. They did not come from Vigna's usual business number, but the profile picture was his. They spoke of a big planned acquisition, of needing the executive's help and of a non-disclosure agreement a lawyer would send.
In the call that followed, the caller convincingly imitated Vigna's southern Italian accent. He said he was calling from a different number because the matter was confidential, that the deal faced some China-related snags and that it required a currency-hedge transaction.
The executive noticed slight mechanical intonations. Saying he needed to verify the caller's identity, he asked a question: what was the title of the book Vigna had recommended to him a few days earlier? The call ended abruptly. According to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, Ferrari opened an internal investigation; the company declined to comment.
