A structured criminal organization with branches throughout the country and its operational hub in Naples was dismantled by the Carabinieri of the Genoa Provincial Command as part of a major operation coordinated by the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office. At the center of the investigation was a proven fraud scheme targeting the elderly, implemented between May 2024 and January 2025 using repetitive and highly invasive methods.
Twenty-one precautionary measures were carried out in the provinces of Naples, Caserta, Benevento, Avellino, Palermo, Brescia, Pavia, and Cosenza. Fifteen people were jailed, while others were placed under house arrest and confinement. The charges range from criminal conspiracy to commit fraud, receiving stolen goods, money laundering, and self-laundering. A total of thirty-three incidents were charged, most of which were completed, involving a haul well in excess of three hundred thousand euros.
The investigations uncovered a rigid organization, with clearly defined roles and a consistently consistent script. The victims were contacted by phone by fake Carabinieri officers or self-styled lawyers, announcing a serious car accident caused by a child or grandchild. In a climate of artificially created panic, the elderly were persuaded to hand over cash and jewelry to avoid the relative's arrest. Meanwhile, the operator remained on the line, leaving no room for doubt or requests for help, until the accomplice in charge of collecting the money arrived.
The group traveled in rental cars, used smartphones registered to front men, and communicated almost exclusively via messaging apps. In Naples, clandestine call centers had been set up in apartments and B&Bs, where the organization's leaders coordinated the operators. An operational axis was also active in Sicily, especially in the Palermo area, from where the money was then transferred to the Campania capital.
According to investigators, the contribution of two Neapolitan goldsmiths, tasked with appraising and laundering the jewelry stolen from the victims, was crucial. One operated a jewelry store in the heart of Spaccanapoli, the other an illegal workshop in Borgo Orefici. Part of the illicit proceeds was allegedly reinvested in the purchase of a property and a betting shop in the San Giuseppe neighborhood, which was used to launder the money.
In addition to the arrests, significant seizures were made: properties, businesses, vehicles, and large sums of cash. In one case, over one hundred and twenty thousand euros were found hidden inside a water heater. This represents a significant blow to a criminal system that has exploited the fear and vulnerability of the elderly, transforming deception into a criminal enterprise.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The Carabinieri operation was very important in stopping these scams targeting the elderly, but I wonder how such a system could exist for so long without being discovered. Security must be strengthened.