Occimano – They pretended to be state employees to empty the homes of elderly people, but their escape ended with them being charged with robbery and aggravated fraud. The Carabinieri have identified and referred to the judicial authorities three men—two 28-year-olds and a 48-year-old, all from the province of Salerno—believed to be responsible for a heinous robbery carried out on January 20th against an eighty-year-old resident of Occimiano.
The dynamics of the scam
The plan, orchestrated using the tried-and-true "fake marshal" technique, began with a phone call. A self-styled non-commissioned officer of the Carabinieri contacted the victim, convincing her that an urgent check on the valuables stored in her home was needed.
The excuse used was that of an alleged robbery that had taken place shortly before in a jewelry store in Alessandria: according to the scammer, a "lawyer" would shortly show up at the elderly man's home to check whether the money and jewelry in his possession were part of the stolen goods taken from the store.
The blitz and the escape
A few minutes after the call, one of the accomplices showed up at the eighty-year-old's door. Once they gained access to the apartment, the criminals managed to steal jewelry and cash, not hesitating to resort to coercive methods that led investigators to charge them, in addition to fraud, with improper robbery.
Thanks to the individuals' descriptions and analysis of video surveillance systems, the officers were able to identify the three Campanian migrants, recovering all the stolen goods, which will be returned to their rightful owners.
Changes and revisions to this article
- Article updated on 09/02/2026 at 13:37 PM - Improved image quality
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Comments (1)
The article describes a truly dire situation. But how can you trust someone who shows up at your home claiming to be a government employee? It's important to educate seniors about these scams.