Elderly swindler in Sansepolcro: Neapolitan couple arrested

Sansepolcro – Another scam involving an elderly man using the "fake Carabinieri" technique has resulted in the arrest of the perpetrators, thanks to the quick thinking of a family member and coordination between law enforcement agencies.

Carabinieri officers from the Arezzo and Perugia companies arrested a man and a woman, both originally from Naples, accused of defrauding an 88-year-old man, originally from Rome but resident in Umbria, into handing over a particularly valuable gold ring.

According to the reconstruction, the two had shown up at the elderly man's home posing as plainclothes Carabinieri officers. Using a well-established story, they claimed that the victim's son, driving his car, had hit a pregnant woman, causing the death of her unborn child. For this, the man was arrested and could only avoid prison by posting a supposed bail in cash or jewelry.

At first, the old man believed the story and collected the gold jewelry to hand over to the scammers. However, when it was time to deliver it, he became suspicious and managed to keep some of the items, but gave up one ring.

The intervention of the grandson proved crucial. Attracted by his grandfather's screams, he managed to take a smartphone photo of the car the two had used to escape. Thanks to the license plate provided to the police, a search was immediately launched, extending to neighboring companies as well.

The car was intercepted shortly thereafter during a checkpoint by Carabinieri officers from the Sansepolcro Company's Mobile Radio Unit. A subsequent search resulted in the recovery of the stolen goods.

The two arrested individuals were transferred to the Perugia prison and remain at the disposal of the judicial authorities. The Prosecutor's Office continues its investigation to determine any possible connections to other similar incidents throughout Italy.