The man had contacted the victim by telephone, falsely informing her of a alleged road accident which would have involved his daughter, convincing her to hand her over to him 4.000 euros in cash to “avoid legal consequences”.

Fortunately, thanks to the reports of some citizens, the Carabinieri intervened quickly, blocking the scammer as he tried to leave the woman's home. During the search, the military found the entire amount subtracted.

The investigations were then extended to a B&B in Lecce, where the 56-year-old was staying. Here, the Carabinieri recovered:

• 2.100 euros in cash, proceeds of a similar scam that occurred on February 17th in Soleto (LE)
• Gold jewelry, stolen from another elderly woman Lizzanello (LE) on the same day

I Recovered goods were returned to their rightful owners, a sign of justice and closeness to the victims.

The man was taken to the Borgo San Nicola District Prison, at the disposal of Public Prosecutor's Office of Lecce, who coordinates the investigations.

The Carabinieri remind the population of the importance of Be aware of scams and report any suspicious activity. For information on how to defend yourself from these scams, you can consult the official guide of the Arma:
Advice against scams