Padua, attempted scam on elderly woman: 37-year-old woman from Salerno arrested

Padua – On Saturday afternoon, police arrested a 37-year-old woman from Salerno for attempted fraud against a 61-year-old man. The scammers' technique was identified as the so-called "fake law enforcement" tactic.

According to the investigation, the victim received a phone call from a person claiming to be a law enforcement officer, claiming that a car registered to his mother, who had been deceased for two years, had been used in a robbery. The stated purpose was to verify sums of money and jewelry stored in the home.

To counter the scam, the victim assumed a double identity: he posed as the husband of the deceased car owner and, later, as the deceased's father. This kept the scammers on the phone and, using a second device, alerted 113.

A patrol from the Flying Squad responded to the attempted collection of the alleged jewels, holding the woman inside her home; an accomplice who was waiting for her in the car managed to escape.

The 37-year-old, already known in the news for previous property crimes and drug trafficking, was subject to a precautionary measure requiring her to report to the judicial police. She was taken to prison in Verona.

Padua Police Chief Marco Odorisio commented on the operation's outcome: "Just last week, police arrested two people red-handed for the same type of scam against the elderly, using the fake marshal technique. And on Saturday, another arrest was made for this heinous crime, committed by individuals who prey on vulnerable victims by exploiting their emotions and affections. The police responded immediately, thanks to the victim's report and the promptness of surveillance, prevention, and control systems throughout the territory: the State is there and provides the responses that citizens and communities expect."