He presented himself as an authoritative bank manager, but in reality he was an unscrupulous fraudster. It happened to Pontecagnano Faiano, in the province of Salerno, where the Carabinieri arrested a man accused of having defrauded an elderly woman with the now sadly notorious technique of the “fake official scam”.
According to the reconstruction by the military of the Arma, the man contacted the victim by telephone, introducing himself as the manager of a banking institution and claiming that the woman's current account was at risk.
With a credible and carefully researched story, he managed to convince her to hand over cash and jewelry, claiming that they would be “safely stored” at the branch.
The victim, frightened and confused, followed the man's instructions, handing everything over to a presumed agent, who arrived at her home shortly after. Only later, realizing the deception, did she alert the Carabinieri.
The investigations were immediately launched and the military managed to identify and track down the alleged perpetrator of the fraud, who was arrested red-handed. He faces serious charges of aggravated fraud against an elderly person. The stolen material was partially recovered.
The episode puts the spotlight back on the phenomenon of scams targeting the elderly, which is constantly growing throughout the country. The Carabinieri recommend maximum caution: "No bank sends officials to your home to withdraw money or valuables. If in doubt, contact the police immediately."
Article published on May 12, 2025 - 14:20 pm
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And a very serious fact what happened in Pontecagnano, scams against the elderly are a serious problem that must be addressed. Elderly people should be more protected from these scammers and have more information on how to defend themselves.