Death and deception. Two men were convicted yesterday in court in Sassari on charges of fraud. They are accused of stealing twenty thousand euros from a 31-year-old woman from Alghero in 2021. The woman received Instagram messages from a supposedly dying widow, who promised her a €100,000 inheritance , a selfless gesture to help her find peace before she enters the afterlife.
Faced with the tempting bait, the woman signed a series of bank transfers totaling €20,000 , which the fake widow was requesting to pay fictitious inheritance taxes. The dying elderly woman, at a certain point, disappears to make way for a self-styled lawyer who, via WhatsApp and various phone numbers, continues to solicit money from the 31-year-old. The woman, eventually, reports the matter to the Carabinieri, assisted by lawyers Giacomo Baralla and Federica Petretto.
The investigation led to the discovery of a trio of people suspected of having perpetrated the scam, residents of Southern Italy, who ended up on trial.
Yesterday, Judge Anna Pintore sentenced two defendants, represented by public defender Cinzia Cossu, to eight months in prison, an €800 fine plus legal costs, and €10,000 each in provisional compensation. The third defendant, represented by lawyer Luigi Conti, was acquitted.
