Italian businessman’s phone allegedly targeted by Paragon spyware

A prominent Italian businessman has been targeted by Paragon spyware, according to local media.

On Thursday, Italian online investigative site IrpiMedia and newspaper La Stampa reported that Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone was among around 90 people who received a notification from WhatsApp in January, warning that he had been targeted by spyware made by Paragon Solutions.

It’s unclear why Caltagirone was targeted, and a spokesperson for its holding company, Caltagirone SpA, did not respond to a request for comment.

Caltagirone’s eponymous holding company owns several companies in different sectors, including construction, real estate, finance and publishing, including the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero.

Caltagirone becomes the first businessman to appear on Paragon’s list of victims in Italy. Other victims so far include journalists Francesco Cancellato and Ciro Pellegrino, who work for the online news site Fanpage; and anti-immigration activists Luca Casarini and Giuseppe Caccia, who work for Mediterranea Saving Humans, an Italian nongovernmental organization that helps save immigrants in the Mediterranean Sea.

The alleged targeting of Caltagirone now extends Italy’s Paragon spyware scandal to victims beyond journalists and activists. Following reports that Fanpage journalists were being targeted, Paragon severed ties with the Italian government, whose intelligence agencies were its clients.

Paragon, which has long claimed to be an “ethical” spyware maker, is headquartered in Israel and was acquired by US private equity giant AE Industrial in December 2024. As part of the deal, Paragon reportedly merged with cybersecurity firm REDLattice.

When TechCrunch contacted Paragon for comment in September regarding the company’s contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a company spokesperson referred questions to REDLattice VP of Marketing Jennifer Iras, indicating that the merger may have been finalized.

Paragon and WhatsApp did not respond to a request for comment.