They pretended to be Carabinieri officers and attempted to defraud a 90-year-old man, but were arrested by the military. The arrest took place in Sassari on Monday, June 29, for two men allegedly charged with attempted aggravated extortion.
The Carabinieri learned of the incident thanks to a report to 112 regarding a phone call the elderly man received from a person who introduced himself as a member of the force.
The scammer claimed that the victim's car had been used by a third party to commit a robbery at a jewelry store. To avoid legal consequences, he then asked the elderly man to hand over a sum of money and the gold in his possession to other Carabinieri officers who would be near his home.
The elderly man first tried to contact his family, but they were all engaged in conversations with unknown people, perhaps to prevent them from calling the police. He then placed €45,000 and gold jewelry weighing approximately 100 grams in an envelope. Fortunately, after leaving the house, he encountered his son, who immediately alerted the Carabinieri by calling 112.
The Carabinieri arrived immediately on the scene and were able to track down one of the alleged perpetrators, who was blocked near the victim's home, while the accomplice was located nearby in a rental car.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the couple had arrived in Olbia that morning after departing from Civitavecchia, coming from Puglia. The two were taken to Bancali prison to await a validation hearing.