Naples – A raid that could be just the first step in a broader investigation into an alleged senior citizen scam ring based in Forcella. For now, however, only one incident has been reported, and for this reason, five men have not been arrested but have been charged.
The raid took place Saturday afternoon in an apartment on Vico Zuroli, in the heart of Naples' historic center. Officers from the Decumani police station's investigative team, stationed behind the door, heard a suspicious phone call: "Madam, I'm a Carabinieri officer. Have you ever owned a firearm?"
These words recall the now-infamous "fake policeman" technique, a ploy used to deceive elderly people by exploiting their fears and alleged family members' legal problems.
The "central" of the scam
When the police entered the home, they found what, to their eyes, appeared to be a veritable fraud operations center. This impression was reinforced by the evidence found during the search.
The five suspects also attempted to get rid of some of the material by throwing it from a balcony, but officers managed to recover and seize everything. Seven smartphones, four handsets, and numerous SIM cards were found in the home, many of which were registered to non-EU citizens unknown to law enforcement databases.
Not just technology: notebooks with notes believed to be a sort of "accounting" for the group were also seized and are now being examined by investigators.
Among those reported is the son of "Genny 'a carogna"
Among the five charged is Ciro De Tommaso, 23, son of Gennaro De Tommaso, known as “Genny 'a carogna,” the former leader of the Napoli ultras and now a collaborator with justice.
Ciro De Tommaso's name had already hit the headlines in October 2020. Riding a scooter with 17-year-old Luigi Caiafa, he was intercepted by the Falchis after an attempted robbery. A chase ensued, culminating in gunshots: one of them struck and killed the minor.
The names and the investigations
In addition to De Tommaso, Giuseppe Cedola, 29; Vincenzo Verrecchia, 46; Fortunato Monaco, 30; and Francesco Pio Adamo Fusco, 19, were also charged. All, except Fusco, have criminal records.
The operation was conducted with the support of the Naples Police Headquarters' canine unit, which spent hours conducting checks and searches in the historic center, an area well known to investigators.
The investigation is now aimed at reconstructing the possible fraud network and identifying possible victims. The raid in Vico Zuroli could therefore be only the beginning of an investigation destined to expand.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It's strange that there are so many suspects for a single incident. It seems law enforcement needs to work harder to prevent these types of crimes. I hope the investigation yields useful and rapid results.