Fake Carabinieri Scam an 88-Year-Old Man; His Nephew Photographs the Car and Arrests Them

AREZZO – They posed as plainclothes Carabinieri officers and staged a false family emergency to convince an elderly man to hand over jewelry and cash. The scam, targeting an 88-year-old resident of Umbria, ended with the arrest of a couple from Campania, discovered thanks to the intuition of the victim's nephew and the timely intervention of the Carabinieri.

According to investigators' reconstruction, the two allegedly used the classic false emergency method: they allegedly told the elderly man that his son, while driving, had hit a pregnant woman, causing her to lose her baby. This story was invented to instill fear and convince the victim to hand over money or valuables, which, according to the false story, were necessary to secure the family member's release through a supposed bail.

The 88-year-old initially believed the version provided by the so-called military and prepared a package containing several gold jewelry pieces. However, upon delivery, certain details aroused suspicion, and the man attempted to retrieve his belongings. The two scammers, however, managed to escape with a gold ring.

The man's fifteen-year-old grandson changed the course of the story. Hearing his grandfather's screams, the boy intervened and had the forethought to take a photo of the car the couple had used to get away with their vehicle with his smartphone, capturing the license plate.

That image proved crucial. After the alarm was raised with the Città di Castello Carabinieri, a search for the car began, involving units from nearby areas. Officers from the Sansepolcro company's mobile radio unit intercepted the vehicle and arrested the two suspects.

During a search of the vehicle and the passengers, the ring stolen from the elderly man was recovered. The couple was arrested and transferred to the Perugia prison, where it is now being held by the Arezzo Public Prosecutor's Office.

Investigations are continuing to determine whether the two may be involved in other similar incidents committed across the country. Investigators are analyzing possible connections to other scams based on the same scheme as the fake law enforcement agencies.