Ovodda, fake son scam on WhatsApp foiled: €800 returned to a woman from Tiana

An a sneaky and well-crafted scam was neutralized thanks to the rapid intervention of the Carabinieri of the Ovodda Station, which allowed a woman from Tiana who fell into the scam to regain her peace of mind and money. The facts date back to September 2023, when the victim – a 45-year-old housewife – received a message via WhatsApp from an interlocutor who pretended to be the son in difficultyIn an urgent tone, the fake son explained that he had changed his number and asked for an immediate transfer of money, indicating a new bank account to make the transfer to.

Seized by panic and fearful for her son's safety, the woman arranged a instant bank transfer of 800 euros. Only a few minutes later she realized that she had been the victim of a telephone scam, immediately presenting himself to the Carabinieri of Ovodda to report the incident. The investigative activity began immediately: in a short time the military managed to trace the destination account, registered to a young twenty-year-old with no criminal record resident in Northern Italy. The funds were still present in the account, allowing the Carabinieri to obtain the preventive seizure before the scammers could withdraw them.

THEthorough investigative work then revealed an unexpected twist: the account holder had no role in the scam. He had in fact been the victim of a attacco informatico, with his banking details hacked and used without the young man's complete knowledge. Public Prosecutor's Office of Oristano he therefore requested that the proceedings against him be closed.

With the seizure confirmed, the entire sum was returned to the victim, who was thus able to recover what was lost. The episode reiterates the importance of always maintaining a high level of attention even when the messages seem to come from loved ones and underlines the decisive role of immediate collaboration between citizens and police forces in the fight against digital scams.