The Padua Flying Squad's investigation began in 2024 following a series of extortion and scams targeting the elderly in the city and surrounding municipalities, culminating in the execution of 11 personal precautionary measures against individuals residing in Naples and its province. Overall, between 2024 and 2025, Padua investigators arrested 21 people and placed 16 Italians, all from the Naples area, under investigation on 16 charges related to criminal conspiracy for the purpose of fraud and extortion.
At the head of the group, according to the prosecution, is 32-year-old Cristiano Giuliano, already known for Camorra-style association, drug trafficking, attempted aggravated murder, and numerous property crimes. But above all, he is the nephew of the former king of Forcella, Luigi Giuliano.
At his side, as his alleged right-hand man, is 22-year-old Nadia Esposito from Pomigliano d'Arco, who has a criminal record for receiving stolen goods, illegal possession of weapons, resisting a public official, brawling, and property crimes, and has been placed under preventive detention.
The recipients of the measures
In addition to the two alleged leaders, nine people are subject to residence and police reporting requirements, which severely limit their travel outside their municipalities.
Among them are men and women between the ages of 23 and 53, residing in Naples, its province, Pomigliano d'Arco, and Marigliano, with prior convictions for fraud, theft, robbery, receiving stolen goods, drug trafficking, resisting a public official, using false documents, and misusing credit cards.
Four other suspects, not subject to the restrictive measures, are a 24-year-old woman from Naples, a 33-year-old man from Pomigliano d'Arco, a 20-year-old man from Castello di Cisterna, and a 24-year-old woman, all already known for fraud and, in one case, stalking. At the same time as the raid, all suspects were served with mandatory four-year expulsion orders from the City of Padua, a measure signed by Police Chief Marco Odorisio.
The Forcella call center
According to investigators, the heart of the organization was an apartment in the Forcella district, in Naples' historic center, used as a "switchboard" from which calls were made and where the proceeds of the scams were transferred. Within the structure, roles were strictly divided: there were those who procured disposable cell phones registered to front men, those who recruited the "debt collectors" and organized their travel arrangements, those who acted as "telephone operators" posing as marshals or lawyers, and those who collected cash and valuables from the victims' homes.
The group, believed to be stable and well-structured, is believed to have operated nationwide, with dozens of incidents targeting the elderly and 15 detailed charges: six classified as extortion and nine as aggravated fraud. The confirmed victims all live in Northern and Central Italy: cases have been traced to the provinces of Padua, Modena, Bolzano, Como, Venice, Trento, Cuneo, Verona, Teramo, and Ascoli Piceno.
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The fake accident trick
The pattern, described by investigators, was always the same: the victim, almost always elderly, was contacted by a man who introduced himself as a law enforcement officer or a lawyer, speaking from Naples using fictitious numbers that were constantly changed. The caller was told that a child or grandchild had just caused a serious car accident with injuries, raising the possibility of arrest unless a bail was immediately paid to "sort things out."
The fake marshal or lawyer would insist on the alleged urgency, bombarding the elderly person with details to prevent them from thinking or talking to family members, preying on fear and guilt. Then the second phase would begin: a "debt collector," previously instructed by the switchboard operators, would show up at the door to collect cash, jewelry, or other valuables, often their entire life savings, posing as a law enforcement agent.
Transfers, percentages and controls
The perpetrators were almost all "travelers" from Campania who traveled between Northern and Central Italy by train or rental car, following real-time directions from their accomplices back in Naples. Once their "mission" was complete, they boarded the first train back to Campania and handed over the loot to a group emissary, who managed the division of the funds.
To prevent embezzlement, tax collectors were asked to photograph the stolen goods directly at the elderly person's home, documenting the money and jewelry before leaving. In exchange for the trip and the risk, the traveler received a percentage between 15 and 20 percent of the stolen goods, a percentage that could be reduced to 10 percent if the organization guaranteed advance legal assistance in the event of arrest.
Technical investigations and results
The investigation took off after the first investigations into elderly scams in 2024, when the Padua Flying Squad noticed a rapid increase in incidents in the city and province and began matching data, schedules, movements, and common references. Based on the evidence gathered, in consultation with the Prosecutor's Office, wiretaps and monitoring of numerous telephone lines were initiated, registered to fictitious individuals but effectively used as "lines of work" for the organization.
By listening to conversations, analyzing hundreds of hours of CCTV footage from the city center and the train station, and cross-referencing train and public transportation timetables, investigators identified a group of young people from the province of Naples and reconstructed their roles, movements, and responsibilities. During the investigation, investigators reported recovering and returning to the victims over €400 in cash, jewelry, and valuables. This is a situation where 671 scams targeting the elderly were reported in the Padua area in 2025 alone, with the total amount of illicit activity estimated at approximately €5 million.
Comments (3)
Loooot
Na granda munnezz
The investigation appears very serious and raises questions about how many elderly people have fallen victim to scams and extortion. It's important to be vigilant in these situations and protect the most vulnerable from similar attacks.