The turnover of scams against the elderly, organized by a criminal organization based in the northern area of the province of Naples and with branches in Northern Italy, has been estimated at around 1 million euros per month.
The network, dismantled today by the Carabinieri of the Caivano company with the execution of 15 precautionary measures, has carried out hundreds of scams in various Italian cities, including Milan, Pesaro, San Giovanni Lupatoto, San Severino Marche, Novara, Avellino, Naples, Salerno, and other locations such as Sparanise, Giugliano in Campania, Lusciano, Casoria and Marano di Napoli.
The organization operated with a sophisticated system: some members, called “switchboard operators”, contacted the victims, mostly elderly, threatening them to extort money and valuables. The apartments used for the calls were frequently changed, even weekly, to avoid being traced.
Other members, in coordination roles, were responsible for procuring telephones, SIM cards, rental cars and “travellers”, often minors, to go to the victims to collect the money. When necessary, these same coordinators took on the role of business travellers, taking a percentage of the loot.
The transferees also took care of receiving the goods
The transferees, in addition to collecting the goods, also took care of receiving them and contributed to the organization of subsequent scams. The highly structured system allowed the group to generate huge profits before the intervention of the police.
Article published on 3 December 2024 - 11:57
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It is truly incredible how these organizations manage to defraud elderly people, but I wonder how they manage to remain hidden for so long. It is important that the authorities intensify controls and investigations to stop these criminals.
It's a little scary to know that there are people who defraud the elderly in this way, but I wonder how they can operate for so long without being stopped. Safety must be a priority.