European authorities are investigating a series of bomb threat emails that have disrupted schools in Italy, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. At least 300 schools in Italy were evacuated as a precautionary measure following the hoax threats received via email. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized on Wednesday that there was no immediate danger to the schools but investigations are underway and a meeting of government ministers has been convened. Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara stated that while at least 300 schools were affected, the number could rise. He suggested a strategic approach behind these threats, with intelligence services working to identify the perpetrators.
Separately in Scotland and Northern Ireland, a large number of schools also received threatening emails. The Northern Ireland Education Authority advised schools to remain open, as police did not deem them credible threats. This incident bears similarities to a bogus threat sent last month, which was subsequently declared a hoax by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Similarly, Police Scotland treated the messages sent to their country's schools as hoaxes and are working with law enforcement agencies across the United Kingdom and internationally to establish the source.
This mass bomb hoax email is reminiscent of a similar incident that occurred in October, affecting Scottish schools. The past month has also seen flights across Europe being diverted or grounded due to bomb threats, with some escorted by fighter jets. Additionally, there have been cyberattacks on supermarkets in several European cities, where hackers manipulated refrigeration temperatures in an apparent attempt to spoil food. Hackers recently raised the temperatures of refrigeration systems at supermarkets in Germany, Romania, and the UK, mirroring a previous attack that swept hundreds of supermarkets across France in October.