Lauro – A seemingly unmissable ad on a well-known online marketplace turned into a classic scam: a promise of designer shoes at a bargain price, payment in advance, and then the seller disappearing.
Carabinieri from the Lauro station identified and reported two thirty-year-old accomplices residing in the province of Barletta. A woman living in the Lauro area, attracted by a particularly advantageous offer, contacted the alleged seller through a popular online classifieds portal.
The ad advertised a pair of designer shoes at a very reasonable price compared to market values. Convinced of the deal, the victim made a bank transfer—or at least an advance payment—of €60, agreeing to have the goods shipped.
Once the amount was collected, however, the "seller" cut off all contact, making himself unavailable and never sending the promised product.
The Carabinieri of the Lauro station, having received the complaint from the defrauded woman, began an investigation. Thanks to a series of cross-checks—including bank details, computer traces, and evidence from the ad—the officers were able to reconstruct the fraudulent scheme and identify the two alleged perpetrators.
The two men, both in their 30s, both residents of the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, were reported at large to the competent Public Prosecutor's Office for the crime of aggravated fraud (Article 640 of the Criminal Code, with any aggravating circumstances related to the electronic method).
Episodes like this are repeated with worrying frequency on classified ad platforms and marketplaces: unrealistically low prices, requests for full upfront payment, and the absence of any guarantees.
Law enforcement officials remind people to always be wary of overly advantageous offers and to favor traceable payment methods that allow for recovery in the event of problems (such as PayPal with buyer protection or bank transfers only after verifying the seller's identity). In this case, the modest sum (€60) didn't deter the scammers, who nevertheless carried out the scam. However, they were eventually identified thanks to the investigative work of the Carabinieri in Lauro. The victim will now be able to join the civil action in any criminal proceedings.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It seems pretty normal these days, but people should be more careful: overly advantageous offers, advance payment, and then they disappear. The victim made the bank transfer and no one sent the shoes. Law enforcement is investigating, but we hope the money is refunded soon and this doesn't remain an unresolved problem.