South Tyrol Police Warn Seniors of Growing 'Hug Theft' Scheme

Police in South Tyrol issued a warning after a 75‑year‑old woman in St. Jakob, a district of Leifers, was approached by a stranger, briefly embraced, and had her gold chain stolen. The suspect, identified by the victim, was later found with a Romanian man in a car stopped by Carabinieri; both are Romanian citizens residing in the United Kingdom. The incident is part of a broader "hug theft" or "chain trick" wave that has affected senior women across Europe, with similar cases reported in Germany's Haan, Ratingen, Bamberg and Heilbronn. Authorities advise older people to avoid unsolicited physical contact, to assert personal space, and to call emergency services (112) if they feel threatened.