Naples – "Good morning, we are the Carabinieri: your car's license plate has been cloned by a gang of robbers." Thus begins a new and insidious scam, targeting elderly people throughout Italy, centered in Naples.
According to reconstructions, the scammers are true communication experts: they know and reproduce several Italian dialects with ease, as if they had taken diction courses. This detail makes their identification even more difficult and the staging more convincing.
The trap always springs on the phone
The trap is sprung with a phone call from a fake soldier informing the victim of a jewelry store robbery committed with a car with identical license plates. To clear himself, the scammer explains, an immediate investigation is necessary.
At that point, an accomplice shows up at the house, posing as another Carabiniere. He asks to see the family jewels to "put them on the record" and exclude them from the robbery loot. While the victim, often confused and frightened, is held on the phone by another accomplice who continues to act his part, the thief inside the house notes the characteristics of the valuables. As soon as the elderly man becomes distracted—often to retrieve a document—the jewels disappear along with the fake Carabiniere.
The cover-up continues even afterward: the accomplice on the phone makes excuses about the "colleague" leaving and invites the victim to the police station "to complete the formalities." Only when the elderly man is already in the car, near the police station, does the call end and the scammers vanish, along with the loot.
Law enforcement officials urge you to be wary of any surprise calls requesting asset checks or the surrender of valuables, reminding you that no Carabinieri officer would ever ask you to show jewelry or money outside of official premises. If in doubt, they recommend hanging up and calling 112 directly.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (2)
Yes, it's a very complex situation, but people also need to be more vigilant when they receive strange phone calls. Sometimes a little healthy skepticism is all it takes to avoid unpleasant surprises.
It's truly sad that there are people who commit this type of scam against the elderly. They should be more careful and informed to avoid falling for these traps. Safety is important.