Overview

• Police cyber units identified and questioned 45‑year‑old Vittorio Vitiello of Scandicci, believed to have run Phica under the aliases “Phica Master” and “Boss Miao,” before the site was shut down in self‑protection.
• Rome’s prosecutor met with the postal police to coordinate a formal probe, opened a file regarding the Facebook group Mia Moglie, and is evaluating applicable charges such as unlawful dissemination of sexual images, defamation, and possible extortion.
• Documents and victim accounts describe a tariffed removal service, with fees reportedly ranging from a few hundred euros to about €2,000 for entrenched content, and in one case a request for €1,000 per month.
• Investigators cite a site section that explained how to hide micro‑cameras in fitting rooms and gym changing areas, prompting consideration of offenses including instigation to commit crimes and illegal interference in private life.
• Operators used foreign servers, including in Russia and China, complicating takedowns; the site’s administration publicly denied extortion, framing removals as a paid service, while victims and lawyers pursue complaints and a planned class action.