A fake police officer attempts to scam two elderly people: two men from the province of Naples have been arrested.

They posed as Carabinieri officers and attempted to convince an elderly couple to hand over money, jewelry, and even four legally owned guns. The plan was discovered, however, and two men, a 35-year-old and a 32-year-old Italian resident in the province of Naples and already known to law enforcement, were arrested by the Carabinieri in Meldola, in the Forlì area.

The two are accused of aggravated fraud involving the detriment of an elderly man, using the so-called "fake Carabiniere" technique. The scam was organized via a video call. A supposed Carabiniere lieutenant introduced himself to the victim, claiming that four robbers had just been arrested and that part of the stolen goods was hidden in the elderly man's home.

At that point, the fake soldier asked the man to gather money, valuables, and any weapons present in the house and show them to him via video call, under the pretext of checking whether they were the stolen goods. The items were then supposed to be handed over to a judge's representative, who arrived shortly thereafter.

The elderly man's wife was also implicated in the scam. The woman, suspicious of the request, decided to contact an acquaintance who actually worked in the force. The tip allowed the Carabinieri to organize an intervention and await the arrival of the scammers.

When the 32-year-old man showed up at the door to collect the money, valuables, and four guns legally owned by the couple, the officers swung into action and arrested him red-handed. Meanwhile, a short distance away, the Carabinieri stopped the alleged accomplice, who was in a car with the engine running, ready to flee. The judge confirmed the arrests and ordered both men to remain in the province of Forlì-Cesena, pending the next hearing.