Naples. A well-oiled machine, a perfect setup to defraud watch enthusiasts and illegally enrich themselves. This was the modus operandi of a fifty-year-old man with multiple criminal records, arrested by the State Police in Naples. The man, a skilled con artist, specialized in identifying victims on online portals, posing as a wealthy buyer interested in fine watches.
Once he had identified his prey, he began a real hunt for the watch. With disconcerting ease, he managed to establish a relationship of trust with his victims, convincing them to meet him in person to close the deal. He showed up at the appointment, punctually, with studied elegance, equipped with a counterfeit cashier's check and a false identity document, registered to a fictitious identity.
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The transaction took place in a few minutes: theclock passed from hand to hand, while the check was deposited in the bank. The victim, reassured by the professionalism of the buyer and the apparent regularity of the transaction, did not suspect anything. Only after a few days, when he realized that the check had not been honored, did he understand that he had been scammed.
Investigation started after a collector's complaint
The investigation, conducted by the Cyber Security Operations Center in Rome, began with a complaint from a watch collector who was the victim of one of these scams. By analyzing the complaints and cross-referencing the data, the investigators were able to reconstruct a detailed picture of the man's illicit activities. Thanks to intense analysis and careful observation of the territory, they were able to identify and arrest the man in Naples.
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Comments (1)
The story of this scammer is really incredible, but I wonder how it is possible that people never check the documents of the buyer. It is essential to be careful when selling valuable items online, otherwise you risk losing a lot.