Milan – A 52-year-old man was arrested in Milan on charges of aggravated fraud against an 86-year-old visually impaired woman. The new law, which made arrest mandatory for this type of crime, is crucial.
He allegedly pulled off the heist in just a few minutes, exploiting the victim's trust and vulnerability. Over the phone, the scammer introduced himself as a Carabinieri marshal or a financial police officer (the police did not specify their rank), fabricating the classic story of fake jewelry checks after a robbery. The victim, an 86-year-old woman with severe vision problems, opened the door to her home on Via Neera in Milan.
The staging
Once inside, the man ordered the woman to gather all the jewelry she had in the house and put it in a bag, under the pretext of comparing it with the loot from a robbery. The elderly woman, confused and frightened, obeyed, handing him a priceless treasure, made up of lifelong memories.
The loot and the arrest
Happy with his loot, the scammer left the house, unaware of what awaited him. The "Falchi" officers of the Flying Squad, suspicious of his movements and likely already on his trail, stopped and searched him.
The bag contained 315 grams of gold and 20 grams of silver: medallions, watches, pendants, brooches, bracelets, and even the wedding rings of the elderly woman's deceased parents. The man, a 52-year-old who had arrived from Naples specifically the day before, was arrested red-handed.
A legislative novelty
The Milan Police Headquarters operation is particularly significant because it is among the first to apply the new aggravating circumstance, which, in the case of fraud, provides for mandatory arrest in flagrante delicto. This regulatory shift aims to more effectively combat a hateful phenomenon that too often targets the most vulnerable segments of the population. Fortunately, all the jewelry was recovered and returned to its rightful owner.
It seems like a sad and ugly story to me but the law has changed and now they are stopping the lady in the act. She was cheated and her jewels were stolen and she opened the door and then the police recovered them but it seems that too many people are still walking around the streets with false faces.