A classic, tried-and-true, and ruthless scenario. On the afternoon of February 21st, two men from Maddaloni allegedly targeted an elderly couple, nearly ninety years old, in the municipality of Castellafiume, in the province of L'Aquila.
It all began with a landline call: a man contacted the couple pretending to be a communications officer, informing them that some registered letters were allegedly waiting at the Capistrello post office and urging them to send someone to collect them.
The trap is sprung: husband out of the house, wife at the mercy of scammers
As soon as the husband left the house, a stranger showed up at the door of the wife, who was left alone, demanding a sum of cash to settle alleged outstanding payments.
The elderly woman, not having the full amount requested, handed over the money she had at home along with some gold jewelry. She then reportedly saw the young man drive away in a white Fiat Panda, where an accomplice was waiting, before quickly disappearing.
Video surveillance catches the fugitives
The video surveillance system installed at the victims' home played a key role in the investigation, allowing the L'Aquila Carabinieri to identify the vehicle and obtain its license plate number. The search was expanded in real time to neighboring provinces.
Stopped on Via Taranto in Cellole: stolen goods still on them
During the night, Carabinieri from the Cellole station intercepted and stopped the Fiat Panda on Via Taranto during a territorial patrol. A 21-year-old and a 17-year-old, both from Maddaloni, were on board.
The personal and vehicle searches yielded immediate results: the adult was found with the entire stolen property, namely €1.480 in cash and the gold jewelry stolen from the elderly woman. The items were seized pending return to their rightful owners.
The 21-year-old was arrested for conspiracy to commit fraud and placed at the disposal of the judicial authorities. The 17-year-old, due to his minority, was charged at liberty. The investigation remains ongoing to determine any further responsibilities and determine whether the duo is involved in other similar incidents in the region.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
Reading the article, I noticed that similar situations happen often. It's sad that elderly people are being targeted by scammers; it must be stopped. Let's hope those responsible are punished.