Italian police crack down on telephone scams targeting seniors

During May 2026 the Carabinieri carried out a series of coordinated investigations that uncovered multiple telephone frauds across Italy. In the Marche‑Campania corridor, a man posing as a Guardia di Finanza convinced a 62‑year‑old resident of San Marcello to hand over about €15,000, leading to the arrest of a 51‑year‑old and a 17‑year‑old who were found with €11,000 in cash.

On the islands of Ischia and Procida, two Egyptian youths aged 18 and 19 were arrested after an 87‑year‑old woman handed over €7,000, believing the callers were a distressed relative. In Randazzo, a 42‑year‑old and a 19‑year‑old were detained when a fraudster, pretending to be a police officer, obtained gold jewelry from an 80‑plus‑year‑old resident; the jewellery was recovered.

Similar schemes were foiled in Maiori, where an 80‑year‑old was contacted about a fictitious university fee and a 5,000‑euro loss was prevented, resulting in the arrest of two suspects. In Reggio Emilia, a fake Carabiniere demanded gold from an elderly couple, leading to the capture of a 22‑year‑old suspect. Across the cases, the victims were senior citizens, the fraudsters used impersonation of law‑enforcement or financial officials, and the police recovered cash, jewellery and other assets while bringing dozens of perpetrators to justice.