Smartphone at a bargain price, however, is a scam

Tuesday 23 April 2024 – 09:25

A branded smartphone at a bargain price on sale on the internet and he couldn’t resist, paying by top-up on a prepaid card. Too bad that the seller then disappeared, leaving the would-be buyer with nothing in his hands.

But the young man from Livorno didn’t completely lose heart and went to file a complaint with the police who ended up going back and reporting a 46-year-old from Taranto with a criminal record for fraud.

It was the end of 2023 when the young man who had fallen victim to the scam had identified a smartphone from a prestigious brand on a website at the competitive price of 600 euros. Christmas was near and this seemed like a perfect gift. Considering the price interesting for the type of product, the young man contacted the mobile number provided by the site advertiser.

After an exchange of messages with the alleged seller, he was convinced to complete the purchase and topped up the IBAN of a prepaid card that the interlocutor had provided him with the commitment to meet for the physical delivery of the smartphone. .

And then he waits and hopes: the phone never delivered, the fan untraceable. The buyer reported the incident to the Carabinieri at the Cecina station who started investigations into the conversations and movements of the money, thus managing to trace the 46-year-old.