Naples. A well-oiled mechanism, a perfect setup to deceive watch enthusiasts and get rich illegally. This was the modus operandi of a fifty-year-old with a criminal record, arrested by the State Police in Napoli. The man, a skilled con artist, specialized in identifying victims on online portals, pretending to be a wealthy buyer interested in luxury watches.
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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.
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
Le investigations, conducted by the Cyber Security Operations Center of Rome, started from the complaint of a watch collector, victim of one of these scams. The investigators, analyzing the complaints and by cross-referencing the data, they 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.
Article published on 6 December 2024 - 10:10
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.