Quartu Sant’Elena police arrest woman in elderly extortion scam

Police in Quartu Sant’Elena have arrested a 42-year-old woman following an extortion scheme targeting an elderly resident. The scam began with a fraudulent phone call from a man posing as a member of the Carabinieri.

The perpetrator falsely informed the victim that her vehicle had been involved in a serious robbery in Cagliari due to a cloned license plate. To induce panic and urgency, the caller claimed she needed to undergo immediate checks on her cash and valuables and that a court official would arrive shortly to collect them.

Believing the threat of legal consequences, the woman handed over approximately 10,000 euros in cash and various pieces of jewelry to a man who arrived at her home. Following the alarm, investigators from the Cagliari Mobile Squad’s Property Crimes Section recovered the entire stolen amount, which has since been returned to the victim.