Venosa police arrest 43‑year‑old for attempted extortion of elderly residents

In the night of 7 July 2026, Carabinieri of the Venosa Operational and Radio‑Mobile Unit responded to a series of 112 emergency calls reporting scams against vulnerable seniors. Investigators uncovered a scheme in which a 43‑year‑old man from Campania pretended to be a Carabinieri marshal, demanding cash and gold jewellery from the victims and threatening home searches if they refused. He coordinated with an unidentified accomplice who visited the homes to collect the money. The suspect was stopped in a suspicious vehicle in Venosa, where he admitted he was “there to do things to the elderly” and showed phone‑navigation data pinpointing the victims’ addresses. He was arrested in flagrante delicto, transferred to the Melfi detention centre, and his detention was later validated by the GIP, which imposed house arrest. The investigation recovered €18,000 in cash, gold items, and forensic evidence, including DNA matching the suspect. Authorities warned seniors to be wary of anyone claiming police authority and to contact 112 for verification.