He posed as an officer conducting anti-theft checks and faked a search, taking silverware, cash, antique coins, and two Beretta pistols. The railway police stopped him in Florence with the suitcase containing the stolen goods. A 19-year-old from Campania was arrested.
The phone call and the "search"
The incident occurred in Florence. According to the reconstruction, the young man allegedly contacted an 86-year-old pensioner by phone, pretending to be a police officer investigating a series of residential burglaries in the city.
Shortly thereafter, as announced in the call, he allegedly showed up at the elderly man's door, claiming to have a search. Under this pretext, he ransacked the rooms, collecting and placing silverware in a trolley.
250 euros in cash, ancient coins, and two Beretta pistols, with the promise that the items would be returned “once the investigation was concluded.”
The railway police stopped the station
After the robbery, the 19-year-old reportedly headed toward the train station, intending to return to Naples. During a check at the Santa Maria Novella train station, railway police officers stopped him and searched his suitcase.
Inside, in addition to the stolen goods, the elderly man's health card was also found, which strengthened suspicions and allowed the bag to be immediately linked to the victim.
Victim's confirmation and arrest
The 86-year-old was contacted by telephone by the State Police and reported that he had recently been defrauded and robbed by a young man who had posed as a police officer. The incident was then reconstructed, and the 19-year-old was arrested on fraud charges.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The article is very interesting and tells a story of a scam that unfortunately happens often. It's incredible how a person can impersonate a police officer and deceive an elderly person; it makes you think about how important prevention is in these cases.