Elderly swindler in Matera: two arrested, €30 in stolen goods returned

Two men, aged 39 and 60, both from the province of Catania, were arrested in a joint operation between the Carabinieri of Matera and the Highway Police of Avellino, in connection with a fraud involving an 84-year-old resident of Matera.

According to the reconstruction, the victim was contacted by phone by a person posing as a law enforcement officer, informing her that her daughter and son-in-law had been arrested. To make the deception credible, the criminal played the woman crying in the background and persuaded her to immediately hand over all the gold she had as bail for their release. Shortly thereafter, an accomplice showed up at the 84-year-old's home and stole the jewelry, quickly fleeing.

The intervention of the Carabinieri of Matera immediately identified the model and license plate of the getaway car. The search was extended to Basilicata and other regions, allowing a patrol from the Avellino West Section of the Highway Police to intercept the getaway vehicle and arrest the two men. The stolen goods, consisting of jewelry and watches, were returned to the victim, who received back what had been stolen, with a market value of approximately €30.