Casalnuovo – A State Police raid yesterday afternoon disrupted a scam targeting an elderly woman, orchestrated by a fake Carabiniere and her relative in need. A 21-year-old Neapolitan man, caught red-handed, was arrested for aggravated fraud and now faces prison time.
The officers' action, a record-breaking operation that combined promptness and coordination, took place early yesterday afternoon. The Acerra Police Station operations center received an alarming report and immediately diverted patrols to a building in Casalnuovo di Napoli.
On site, with the crucial support of a patrol car from the Afragola Police Station, the officers staged a veritable siege.
The scene before the police was a classic reenactment of a scenario, unfortunately familiar to law enforcement, but one that always has a profound psychological impact on the most vulnerable victims. The elderly woman, shaken but lucid, told the officers about the scam she had been subjected to.
Shortly before, a man on the phone pretended to be her nephew, begging her to deliver some gold jewelry to a "friend" of his who would show up at the house. The excuse: the jewelry was needed to resolve an urgent issue related to a bounced check signed by the woman's daughter.
The drama escalated moments later, with a second phone call, the one that was supposed to confirm the gravity of the situation.
It might interest you
Qualiano: Referee punched after U19 match: Carabinieri arrive
Shock in Ercolano: Eleven-year-old punched to death, bully's father yells "hit again!"
A slaughterhouse in Sant'Antonio Abate has been seized for discharging toxic waste into the Sarno River.
Naples, meeting at the Prefecture to address the issue of usury.
She confirmed that her daughter had actually been "arrested" for an unpaid debt, and that her immediate release depended on the jewelry being handed over to a "collaborator" who would arrive to collect it. A perfect emotional trap, built on fear and a mother's protective instinct.
While the woman, although suspicious of the dynamics, was about to give in to the psychological pressure and hand over her family treasure to the young messenger, a doubt pushed her to take a decisive step: immediately after the handover, she called the police.
The officers, who arrived with utmost urgency, spotted a man on the balcony of the building who, at the sight of them, in a panic, threw a bag into the void in an attempt to eliminate the evidence.
The attempt failed. The bag was immediately recovered by the operators, and inside they found and seized numerous gold jewelry—the "ransom" paid by the elderly woman.
The 21-year-old, caught in the apartment, was immediately identified. He was the "collaborator" of the fake Carabiniere, the actual perpetrator of a scam that narrowly succeeded. Already known to law enforcement, he was handcuffed and rushed to the station. The elderly woman was relieved to have avoided the worst and to have her valuables returned, a treasure not only financial but, above all, sentimental.
The incident, resolved within hours, serves as yet another dramatic warning against telephone scams, a crime that hits home precisely because it exploits the purest feelings, such as love for one's family.
Comments (1)
It's truly sad how there are people who take advantage of the vulnerability of others, especially the elderly. These types of scams should be stopped more decisively by the competent authorities. I hope the young man is appropriately punished.