"Mom, help me, I'm risking prison": The scam gang has been dismantled. The headquarters was in Barra.

It's phase two of Operation "Fumo del Vesuvio 2": this morning the Carabinieri dismantled a pyramid scheme based in the Naples area: emotionally charged phone calls and couriers sent across the country to rob the victims.

"Madam, your son caused a serious accident. He risks arrest; bail is needed immediately." On the other end of the line, a cold, authoritative voice impersonating a Carabinieri marshal. In the background, the desperate sobs of a supposed son: "Mom, help me!" This is the ruthless psychological mechanism, a perfect setup designed to undermine the defenses of the victims, usually elderly and lonely people, and throw them into a state of profound panic.

These weren't small-time neighborhood criminals, but a full-fledged "criminal enterprise." It was uncovered by the Carabinieri of the Trieste Investigative Unit, in a complex operation coordinated with their Neapolitan colleagues called "Fumo del Vesuvio 2."

The structure: a criminal enterprise

The organization operated with a rigid pyramid structure. At the top were the organizers, supported by specialized figures: from the "telephone operators"—embedded in clandestine exchanges in Naples' historic center, ready to comb through old phone books looking for targets—to the logistics workers, tasked with recovering SIM cards registered to unsuspecting front men and renting "clean" cars for the couriers' travel.

The man who led the gang was reportedly a thirty-year-old originally from Casalnuovo, but living in the Barra neighborhood, already known to law enforcement. His job was to manage the workforce, sent by train or car throughout Northern and Central Italy, from Friuli to Piedmont, passing through Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, and the Marche.

The clue on the Julian coast

The investigation began in early 2025 from a piece of the puzzle discovered on the Trieste coast. On January 25, in Visogliano, a very young "traveler" from Campania attempted a robbery on an elderly couple, failing only due to the unexpected arrival of some acquaintances of the victims. Undaunted, the courier moved to nearby Muggia, managing to burgle the home of another elderly woman.

The investigative breakthrough came a few days later: thanks to collaboration with the Turin Carabinieri, the young man was caught red-handed while attempting another scam, carrying jewelry worth approximately €33. Since that first arrest, the chain of command has been reconstructed piece by piece.

The balance of the operation

The dawn raid in the provinces of Naples, Caserta, Isernia, and Salerno resulted in six precautionary measures—three prison detentions for the alleged ringleaders and three orders to remain in residence—as well as ten charges filed at large.

Overall, the entire investigation led to the arrest of eight people, the filing of charges against 19 accomplices, the clarification of 18 fraud incidents, and the recovery of approximately €50,000 in stolen property, which has already been returned to its rightful owners. "The investigations have established the existence of a pyramid structure with debt collectors at the base, telephone operators at the center, and the organizers at the top," explain the investigators, who are now working to sever any remaining ramifications of the gang.