Parete– They exploited a woman's fear and love for her family. A cold-blooded trap, staged with the tried-and-true "fake policeman" script, fell upon an elderly retiree from Parete.
Today, months later, the Carabinieri of the local station, with the support of the Investigative Unit of the Naples Provincial Command, have given a face and a name to his executioner: a 20-year-old from Naples, already known to law enforcement, identified and reported at large for the crime of fraud.
The mudslinging began on the afternoon of March 17th. On the other end of the phone, a reassuring, familiar voice said: "I'm your son." The message, however, was anything but reassuring.
The man, pretending to be her relative, informed the woman that her husband was in the barracks and that, to obtain his immediate "release," a pledge had to be paid. No cash, but the family's gold. All the jewelry and trinkets were to be handed over to a "soldier" who would show up at her house shortly.
Fear for her husband prevailed over mistrust.
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With a confident air, he collected the loot and sped away in a Smart, disappearing into thin air and leaving behind the silence and growing anguish of his victim.
Only later did the deception come to light. The pensioner realized she had fallen into a trap and reported the incident to the Parete Carabinieri.
From there, the investigation began, a meticulous reconstruction that led investigators to comb through footage from both public and private video surveillance systems in the area. Frame by frame, the suspect's identity emerged clearly.
That young man, the 20-year-old charged today, is believed to be the actual perpetrator of the scam, the one who physically took the gold from the victim. The investigation, however, doesn't stop there. The police are working to determine the possible existence of one or more accomplices, perhaps the same voice on the phone, and to attempt to recover the stolen goods from the elderly woman, a family treasure trove of memories and affection worth far more than its weight in gold.
Comments (1)
This is a very sad story, and I feel sorry for the woman who fell victim to such a nasty scam. People should be more careful when receiving calls from strangers, and not immediately trust what they say.