Naples: Here's How the Scam Call Center Worked

A structured, widespread, and ruthless organization, capable of targeting elderly people throughout Italy by exploiting fear, loneliness, and family ties.

This is the picture that emerges from the precautionary order signed by Judge Federica Colucci, who has imposed personal and real measures against over twenty suspects accused, to varying degrees, of criminal conspiracy aimed at aggravated fraud, receiving stolen goods, and money laundering.

At the center of the investigation is a veritable "criminal call center" based in Naples, operating daily and capable of making hundreds of calls a day, scientifically selecting the most vulnerable victims: elderly people, often alone, isolated using sophisticated psychological techniques and subjected to emotional pressure.

The mechanism of the scam: fear, isolation and final blowThe organization operated according to a tried and tested scheme.

The first phase: the selection of victims

Operators called landline numbers drawn from old telephone directories, focusing on a specific geographic area each day. During the initial calls, they checked whether the caller was elderly. If so, the number was "flagged" for subsequent calls.

The second phase: the scam

The charade then began: one of the callers identified himself as a Carabinieri marshal or corporal, another as a lawyer. The victim was told that a son, nephew, or close relative had caused a serious car accident and was being held at the station.

The only way out, according to the scammers, was the immediate payment of a cash "bail" or the delivery of jewelry as a "symbolic pledge," to avoid prison for the family member.

The third phase: isolation

To prevent any investigation, the victims were kept constantly on the phone, deprived of the ability to contact relatives or friends. In some cases, other family members were sent away from the home under urgent pretexts, while the landline remained busy.

The fourth phase: the "traveler"

The circle was closed by the transfer agent, the man tasked with physically showing up at the elderly man's home, posing as a plainclothes police officer or the lawyer's emissary. He was the one who collected the money and valuables, receiving precise directions on addresses and movements via GPS coordinates sent via WhatsApp or Telegram.

A pyramid structure: roles and responsibilities, the promoters and leaders

The Summit: The Control Room of Fraud

Alessandro D'Errico and Antonietta Mascitelli

They were the undisputed leaders of the organization, the promoters and organizers of the association. Nothing happened without their consent.

They ran the call center, decided which cities to target, on which days, and how. They planned each scam as a single operation, also taking care of the logistical and financial aspects.

They paid for all expenses upfront: car rental, train tickets, fuel, accommodation, and even the management of telephone lines registered fictitiously to non-EU citizens, which were used to avoid being tracked.

They gave direct orders to the travellers, indicating times, addresses, escape routes and places where to wait for the “all clear” after the telephone lure.

D'Errico and Mascitelli maintained contact with all levels of the organization, received the stolen goods, and decided how and when to feed them into the money laundering circuit.

The operational heart: the call center

Carmela Mascitelli and Assunta Olisterno

Not just executors, but key cogs in the system. They worked daily as telephone operators, taking care of the first and most delicate phase: selecting the victims.

They made hundreds of calls a day, starting from paper telephone directories, with the aim of identifying elderly people living alone. Once they had identified their "target," they reported them to the instigators and directly participated in the deception, impersonating institutional figures or collaborating in the fabrication of the false emergency.

Their function was also to maintain psychological pressure, preventing the victim from interrupting communication or asking for help.

The logistics base

Maria Robustelli

He made his home in the historic center of Naples available, transformed into a veritable operations center.
There, phone calls were made, travel arrangements were planned, and contacts with the traveling workers were coordinated. Robustelli was not a passive figure: he actively participated in the call center's activities and worked closely with the promoters during the victim-grooming process.

The strategic and family level

John D'Errico

Alessandro's father, he was a decision-making support figure.
He contributed to planning activities, suggesting objectives and liaising with other associates, particularly those recruiting the business travellers. He was informed about the progress of the scams and the flow of proceeds, acting as a link between management and the workforce.

Recruitment and management of performers

Thomas Di Balsamo

He was the organization's recruiter. Together with his brother Vincenzo, he identified individuals willing to serve as tour operators, organized their travel, and acted as liaison with the promoters.

Tommaso Di Balsamo was also responsible for the physical recovery of the stolen goods: he collected money and jewelry obtained from the scams and then delivered them directly to the top brass of the gang.

Travelers: The Final Face of Fraud

Goats, Marchese, Di Balsamo Vincenzo and Antonio, Palmieri, Paolone, Maisto, Morgavi

They were the perpetrators, the ones who knocked on the victims' doors.
They posed as plainclothes Carabinieri or lawyers, collecting cash and valuables. They operated nationwide, following detailed instructions received in real time.

Particularly serious, according to the judge, was the position of some of them who continued to collaborate despite already being subject to precautionary measures for similar scams, maintaining prohibited contacts with the promoters and even contributing to the recruitment of new associates and the procurement of rental cars.

The transportation of the stolen goods

Carolina Esposito

He acted as a courier. He reached the traveling clients by train or bus, collected the loot, and brought it back to Naples. The return trip took place immediately after delivery, minimizing risks.

Receiving, laundering and reinvestment

Fabio D'Anna

He was a fence and money launderer. He received gold and precious stone jewelry and handled its distribution on the black market.

Vittorio Cozzolino

He transported the proceeds from Sicily to Naples and also supervised the workers on the move, ensuring that the deliveries were made correctly.

Victor Esposito

Another receiver, recipient of the valuables stolen from the victims.

Maddalena D'Errico and Immacolata Michelino

They guarded and hid the money. According to the order, they also engaged in self-laundering, reinvesting part of the proceeds in commercial activities and financial transactions under fictitious names.

List of suspects

CAPRETTI Giovanni, 09.04.1993 – Mugnano di Napoli

COZZOLINO Vittorio, 15.08.1992 – Naples

D'ANNA Fabio, 09.11.1982 – Naples

D'ERRICO Alessandro, 07.10.1988 – Naples

D'ERRICO Giovanni, 03.05.1957 – Naples

D'ERRICO Maddalena, 12.08.1984 – Naples

DI BALSAMO Antonio, 09.03.1987 – Pomigliano d'Arco

DI BALSAMO Tommaso, 20.05.2003 – Torre del Greco

DI BALSAMO Vincenzo, 22.02.1990 – Pomigliano d'Arco

ESPOSITO Carolina, 24.12.1991 – Naples

ESPOSITO Vittorio, 06.06.1987 – Naples

MAISTO Riccardo, 26.09.1998 – Naples

MARCHESE Mirco, 28.02.1998 – Palermo

MASCITELLI Antonietta, 23.03.1985 – Naples

MASCITELLI Carmela, 17.01.1995 – Naples

MICHELINO Immaculate, 24.08.1961 – Naples

MORGAVI Giovanni Stefano, 26.12.1993 – Palermo

OLISTERNO Assumption, 06.10.1982 – San Giorgio a Cremano

PALMIERI Maria, 14.06.1999 – Piedimonte Matese

PAOLONE Domenico, 02.03.2001 – Marcianise

ROBUSTELLI Maria, 29.11.1978 – Naples

(in the photo, from top left: Alessandro D'Errico, Antonietta Mascitelli, Carmela Mascitelli, Assunta Olisterno, and Giovanni D'Errico; bottom left: Vincenzo Di Balsamo, Antonio Di Balsamo, Fabio D'Anna, and Vittorio Cozzolino)