A phone call, a fabricated story about a car accident, and a demand for money to avoid alleged legal consequences. This is the script of the scam targeting an elderly woman from Colle Sannita, in the Benevento area, which led to the arrest of a 27-year-old foreigner, already known to law enforcement.
According to the Carabinieri's reconstruction, the woman was contacted by a man posing as a member of the Carabinieri. He told her over the phone that her nephew had been involved in a car accident and that money was needed to cover some urgent legal expenses.
Shortly thereafter, a young man appeared at the door. He apparently managed to gain the victim's trust with reassuring words, forcing him to hand over over €4 in cash. He then left with an accomplice in a taxi, the driver of which, according to reports, was unaware of the scam.
The alarm was raised immediately afterward. The Carabinieri intercepted the taxi, but the two passengers jumped from the vehicle and attempted to escape on foot.
The search led the officers to a rugged, mountainous wooded area in the nearby municipality of Circello. It was there that the 27-year-old was spotted trying to hide under some brambles.
During the operation, the money stolen from the elderly woman was also recovered and later returned to its rightful owner. The woman also reportedly recognized the young man as the person who had come to the house to collect the cash.
The 27-year-old was arrested on charges of aggravated fraud and transferred to the Benevento prison, where he is being held by judicial authorities. Investigations are ongoing to identify the escaped accomplice.
