Italy police crack down on fraud scams targeting citizens

Italian authorities have uncovered two separate fraud operations affecting vulnerable citizens. In Rome, a 57‑year‑old woman was deceived by a fake auto‑insurance scheme that mimicked legitimate insurers, prompting her to make three instant bank transfers totalling about €1,372 and provide card details. The money was routed to prepaid cards and withdrawn in cash at post‑office ATMs in the province of Crotone. Police investigations led to the arrest of five suspects previously linked to similar scams across Italy.

In Ribera, Agrigento province, a 70‑year‑old pensioner was lured by callers posing as carabiniere who claimed his car had been stopped while transporting foreign nationals with gold objects. Believing the ruse, he handed over family jewellery valued at roughly €10,000 to a man who presented himself as a police officer. The victim reported the incident, and the real carabinieri opened an inquiry to identify the impostors.

Both cases highlight the use of sophisticated impersonation tactics—QR codes, instant payments and false authority claims—to defraud individuals, prompting law‑enforcement actions across the country.