Rome: 88-year-old woman thwarts fake Carabinieri scam

An 88-year-old woman in Rome successfully thwarted a “fake Carabinieri” scam, leading to the arrest of a 20-year-old woman from Naples. The scam began with a phone call from a man posing as a Carabinieri Major, claiming the victim's daughter had been involved in a serious crime. The imposter demanded the victim hand over her gold jewelry to resolve the situation.

Instead of succumbing to fear, the woman feigned compliance while contacting emergency services via 112. Carabinieri officers from the Roma Trionfale station coordinated an observation operation at the victim's residence. When the 20-year-old arrived to collect the jewelry, she was caught in flagrante on the landing of the building.

The Rome Court validated the arrest and sentenced the young woman to one year and four months of suspended prison time for aggravated fraud against the elderly. Authorities have used the incident to urge citizens to remain vigilant against similar scams.