Matera: Elderly lady defrauded, two 20-year-olds arrested

The Carabinieri of the Grassano Station, with the support of the Carabinieri of Naples and Bergamo, they executed the precautionary measure of house arrest with an electronic bracelet towards two subjects of Campanian origin aged 23 and 21, which would have, in competition with each other, committed a fraud against an elderly lady living in Grassano. The investigative activity arose from a complaint filed by the victim last October 2023.

According to what emerged from the investigations, the two scammers allegedly carried out the so-called "fake courier" scam: pretending to be in charge of urgently withdrawing money on behalf of a family member to purchase an apartment at auction, the criminals allegedly induced the victim to give them a total sum of 50.000 euros, including cash and gold jewellery.

The effective coordination between the Carabinieri of Grassano and the other departments of the Tricarico Company would have allowed the identification of those responsible and the collection of sufficient evidence for the issuing of the precautionary measure by the Judicial Authority.

It should be noted that the investigations carried out so far are still in the preliminary investigation phase, and require subsequent procedural verification in cross-examination with the defense.

The operation represents another important signal in the fight against scams against elderly people, which are unfortunately increasingly frequent. The Carabinieri renews its invitation to the population, particularly the most vulnerable, to pay maximum attention and to promptly report any suspicious behaviour.