Bomb-threat emails hit 6,000 Italian schools; sender traced to a Da-Yeh University alumni mailbox, which the school has disabled

What happened

A mass email threat campaign hit Italy on 11 November; ANSA reported the messages were sent before 10:00 local time and claimed remotely detonated explosives had been placed in school buildings ^[1]. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a video on the government website that police checks found no explosive in any school, there is no evidence of a concrete danger, and the messages were meant to create fear and chaos ^[2].

Scope

The Italian education ministry said about 6,000 schools received the emails, and some evacuated before classes resumed after police checks ^[1]. Italian media said the sender details involved a Da-Yeh University alumni mailbox in Taiwan; the university said an alumnus account showed heavy sending, was likely stolen or abused, has been disabled, and the cause and actual sender are not yet confirmed ^[3]. Italian police and security experts said the sending domain alone does not show the sender is in Taiwan, and server abuse or spoofing cannot be ruled out ^[1][3].

Response

Meloni said every alert will continue to be checked one by one, and an anonymous email will not be allowed to set the school calendar ^[2]. Taiwan's representative office in Italy condemned the threats and said Taiwanese agencies are willing to cooperate and provide technical support ^[1].