Florence police arrest 23‑year‑old for impersonating finance guard and attempting gold fraud on elderly

Police in Florence responded to a neighbor’s alert after an 84‑year‑old resident was contacted by a man claiming to be a finance officer and asked to retrieve gold from his home. A 23‑year‑old woman arrived, presented a forged finance‑guard badge and demanded the jewellery. Residents intervened, preventing her escape, and officers detained her on the scene.

Investigators found a counterfeit badge, two phones and a same‑day train ticket to Florence. She was charged with attempted fraud and possession of forged official signs and, following a summary hearing, received a ban on residing in Tuscany. The arrest was highlighted during the police’s “Più Sicuri Insieme” anti‑scam campaign, which will hold further community meetings in late May and early June.