"Mom, I had an accident" scam: Carabinieri arrest three suspects
The carabinieri of Castello di Cisterna have arrested three men on behalf of the public prosecutor's office in Naples. They are suspected of being part of a criminal organization that specializes in defrauding the elderly. The arrests were made following an extensive investigation that uncovered serious evidence against the 32, 38 and 26-year-old men.
The suspects are said to have used a scam in which they pretended to be relatives or lawyers. With the white lie "Mom, I caused an accident" or the demand for bail for the alleged release of an arrested son, they persuaded their victims to hand over large sums of money or valuables.
Hundreds of thousands of euros and jewelry stolen
The Carabinieri investigations coordinated by the Naples public prosecutor's office have revealed that the group is responsible for 36 cases of fraud in the provinces of Naples, Benevento and Avellino. The alleged perpetrators - including the "first telephone operator" (initiator and organizer), the "second telephone operator" (organizer of the group) and the "itinerant" (presumably the money collector) - operated from an apartment in the Naples district of Ponticelli, which served as a call center.
They are said to have stolen cash and various gold and jewelry items with a total value of almost one hundred thousand euros in their scams.
Seized loot returned to the victims
In the course of the investigation, the Carabinieri and the public prosecutor's office were able to seize cash, jewelry and other valuables that originated from the illegal activities. These were subsequently returned to their rightful owners.
It is emphasized that the arrests are a precautionary measure as part of the ongoing preliminary investigations. An appeal may be lodged against the persons concerned and they are presumed innocent until a final judgment is passed.
