Rignano sull'Arno. An attempted scam against an old woman of 94 years was foiled in recent days in Rignano sull'Arno, thanks to the timely intervention of the Carabinieri. A 34-year-old man, originally from Naples, was arrested on charges of impersonating a soldier of the Arma in an attempt to extort money and jewelry from the woman.
According to the reconstruction of the facts, the scammer would have contacted the victim by phone, describing an emergency situation involving his son. With the excuse of a phantom car accident in which the son would have been responsible for injuring a woman, the man would have requested the payment of a sum of money to a lawyer to avoid the arrest of the relative.
The elderly woman, frightened by the prospect, despite not having any cash available, gathered all the valuables she had in her house, ready to hand them over to an accomplice of the scammer who would show up to collect them. Fortunately, the timely arrival of the woman's son interrupted the scam, scaring the criminal away.
Immediately alerted by the call to 112 NUE made by the elderly woman, the Carabinieri started tracking down the fugitive. Thanks to the precise description provided by the victim, the military were able to intercept the man about ten kilometers away from Rignano, as he was driving away in a car.
The search of the 34-year-old led to the discovery of a cell phone containing photographs of the jewelry he allegedly attempted to steal from the elderly woman. The evidence collected led to the man's arrest.
The competent Court validated the arrest and ordered the 34-year-old to remain in Naples, his hometown. The episode once again underlines the need to pay maximum attention to this type of scam, which often targets elderly people, and to promptly report any suspicious situation to the police.
Article published on 20 December 2024 - 14:00
