The investigations, which arose from a series of reports of fraud committed in the Capital between December 2021 and September 2022, always perpetrated with the same ruse of falsely presenting oneself to the elderly victim as a lawyer or member of the Carabinieri, foreseeing an imminent danger or serious harm to a family member, if the victim had not paid the requested economic benefits necessary to avoid arrest, have allowed us to reconstruct numerous criminal episodes carried out by a structured association, operating throughout the national territory and in Rome, with its base in the historic center of Naples, where the "switchboard" from which the phone calls were made and where the proceeds of the crimes were sent was located.
The perpetrators of the fraud went to the place, but remained in constant contact with the accomplices present at Napoli, from whom they received orders and directives. The organization was led by 2 men belonging to a family living in the Courts area and Largo Donnaregina, in the historic center of Naples. The promoter and organizer of the association, aged 47, developed the criminal “plans”, indoctrinated the associates on the modus operandi, identified the victims and received and divided the proceeds of the crimes among the associates. The other promoter, aged 37, procured the “intercoms”, that is, the cell phones with fictitious names used only and exclusively to commit the single fraud and then thrown away, but found and subsequently analyzed by the judicial police.
The promoters received from a so-called scout/explorer the directions of the most attractive streets, chosen from those they considered the quietest, usually located in residential areas, potentially inhabited by wealthy people. The homes identified were preferably without a concierge or video surveillance systems.
The promoters of the criminal association were supported in the organization by 2 women. One, 53 years old, was in charge of recruiting the "tax collectors" and worked in her home, located in the "bassi" of Largo Donnaregina in Naples, where some operational meetings were held and from where many of the phone calls to the victims were made. The woman was also the custodian of most of the money and benefits of the criminal organization, proceeds of the crimes and helped the leaders of the criminal group in the management and recruitment of associates.
Article published on November 27, 2023 - 11:29
