Two arrested after 12‑hour telephone scam targeting elderly in Rome

Police in Rome arrested two men — a 63‑year‑old from Catania and a 34‑year‑old from Naples — for a 12‑hour telephone extortion scheme that targeted an 82‑year‑old man in the Tor Tre Teste district. The suspects impersonated Carabinieri, convincing the victim that his bank account was linked to a crime investigation and pressing him to withdraw cash. Over the night the victim made two €2,000 ATM withdrawals and later gathered a total of €8,000 in cash, gold jewellery and his bank card, which he handed over to police as part of a sting operation. The operation succeeded after a bank teller flagged the unusual withdrawals and alerted the State Police. When the criminals attempted to collect the cash, one was caught at the victim’s door and the other was seized nearby in a rented vehicle. Both are now charged with aggravated attempted extortion, identity substitution and resistance to a public officer.