Naples – He pretended to be a helpful bank clerk, ready to resolve a security emergency, but in reality he was a skilled scammer capable of draining bank accounts in minutes. The perpetrator of a series of cyber frauds that netted a total of approximately €50 has been jailed.
The arrest was made this morning pursuant to a precautionary custody order issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Naples, at the request of the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office. The operation, conducted by the financial police of the Naples Judicial Police Section and the Carabinieri of the Marano operational unit, put an end to a nightmare for numerous account holders who had fallen into the cybercriminal's net.
The Vishing Trap: The Modus Operandi
The investigation, which began in 2024 following a flurry of complaints, allowed investigators to reconstruct a sophisticated and effective mechanism, technically known as “vishing” (voice phishing).
The script was always the same, meticulously crafted. It all began with a text message (SMS) sent to the victims. The sender appeared to be a major bank, and the content warned, in alarmist tones, of a suspected security breach in their bank account.
Moments after sending the text message, the second phase began: telephone contact. The man, posing as a bank employee, exploited the victims' agitated state. Through psychological deception and persuasive technical language, he managed to extract the device credentials for online banking access. Once the digital keys were obtained, the scammer took full control of the accounts.
Money flows and cross-investigations
Once he had gained access to the victims' banking systems, the suspect acted quickly: the monetary balances were diverted and transferred to prepaid cards and other financial accounts attributable to him.
The scammer was caught thanks to the close collaboration between law enforcement agencies:
The Guardia di Finanza conducted a meticulous analysis of financial flows, tracing the route of dirty money, which often ended up in cash withdrawals or, occasionally, in large-scale phone top-ups.
The Carabinieri, by cross-referencing the evidence, traced the man's physical identity.
Seizures and recovery of stolen goods
During the investigation, targeted searches had already been carried out, leading to the seizure of computer devices and key documentation, as well as the recovery of part of the stolen goods.
In addition to the arrest for unauthorized access to a computer system and computer fraud, the man was also issued a precautionary seizure order, both direct and equivalent, aimed at confiscating the assets purchased with the proceeds of the illegal activity.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
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