A cyber scam constructed using phone calls, bank accounts, and fake bank transfers. This is what the Carabinieri of the station discovered. cervinara, in the province of Avellino, at the end of an investigative activity triggered by the complaint filed by a citizen.
The police have reported three individuals residing in different parts of Italy, believed to be involved in a joint cyber fraud. It all began in early January when the victim posted an online ad for some equipment. Shortly thereafter, she was contacted by a supposed buyer who expressed interest.
The man used a phone number registered to a foreigner and, through a series of phone calls, managed to gain the woman's trust. Taking advantage of the victim's lack of familiarity with digital financial tools, the scammers convinced her to wire €500, while she believed she was receiving payment for the sale.
The Carabinieri's investigations allowed them to reconstruct the mechanism used by the group. Two of the criminals handled the phone calls, inducing the woman to transfer the money to a bank account held by a third accomplice. The latter, upon receiving the money, divided it into a series of smaller transfers to the accounts of the other two suspects. The investigation allowed them to identify the perpetrators and reconstruct the flow of money. The three were subsequently reported to the competent judicial authorities for computer fraud.
It appears to be a well-organized scam. The phone calls were carefully screened and the accounts were fake. The fake identity convinced her. The woman sent 500 euros, thinking she was supposed to receive payment. The scammers then split the money into several smaller transfers. The investigation reconstructed everything, and the alleged perpetrators were reported.