A phone call apparently from the Rome Police Headquarters, false court documents sent via WhatsApp, and a request to hand over jewelry and valuables for alleged investigative investigations. This is the ploy used to trick a 66-year-old Roman woman into handing over goods and valuables with an estimated value of approximately \u20ac3,5 million. In connection with the incident, the Carabinieri arrested a 22-year-old man in Naples, already known to law enforcement, on serious suspicion of aggravated fraud. The investigation, coordinated by the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office, is continuing to identify the other members of the group. The arrest was made by the Carabinieri of the Rome Salaria station, with the support of the Naples Bagnoli unit, pursuant to a pre-trial detention order issued by the Court of Rome on June 3, 2026.<\/p>\n
The investigation began with events in Rome on April 21, when the victim was contacted by phone by individuals posing as State Police officers, launching the sophisticated scam. According to the investigation, the scammers, disguising the phone number to make the call appear to be from the Rome Police Headquarters, had lured the woman into a jewelry store robbery investigation, allegedly involving her deceased father’s car. To make the scam seem credible, the criminals had sent the victim false court documents via WhatsApp, identifying her as a suspect. Threatened by the ongoing investigation, they had ordered her not to speak to her husband and had advised her of the need to have her jewelry and valuables inspected by a self-styled “court expert.”<\/p>\n
In a panic, the woman handed over to her accomplices, who had arrived at her home, a jewelry box, \u20ac650 in cash, $3.000, $2.500 Swiss francs, and a bag taken from a safe containing jewelry and valuables, for a total estimated damage of approximately \u20ac3.500.000. The investigative breakthrough came thanks to forensic tests: the Carabinieri isolated a fingerprint left by the perpetrator on the victim’s car. Investigations by the RIS (Scientific Investigations Unit) in Rome led to the identification of the suspect, whose responsibility was later confirmed through a photo identification. The serious evidence of guilt gathered by officers from the Rome Salaria station allowed the Prosecutor’s Office to request and obtain a precautionary custody order, according to which the 22-year-old was arrested and taken to the Naples Poggioreale prison, where he will be held by the judicial authorities. The Carabinieri investigations are continuing to identify his accomplices.<\/p>\n
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