Yesterday afternoon, the Carabinieri of the Company’s Operational and Radiomobile Unit of Patti and the Gioiosa Marea station have carried out an order for the application of a personal precautionary measure against a 21-year-old from Catania, already known to the police.
The order, issued by the Judge for Preliminary Investigations of the Court of Patti at the request of the local Public Prosecutor’s Office, led by Dr. Angelo Vittorio Cavallo holds him responsible for multi-aggravated fraud. The provision derives from an event that occurred on May 14th, promptly reported by the victim. That morning, a woman from Gioiosa Marea received a call from an unknown number. The interlocutor, posing as the First Marshal of the Gioiosa Marea Station, asked her if she had relatives abroad. Once he had obtained the necessary information, the man kept the woman on her phone, telling her that her sister, living abroad, had hit a pedestrian and that it was necessary to compensate the victim with a sum of money. He then asked her to reach the center of Gioiosa Marea without interrupting the phone call and not to go to the barracks, stating that she would be reached by the Carabinieri. The phone call lasted more than an hour and ended suddenly. After the call, the woman contacted the local Carabinieri station, discovering that they had not contacted her, thus realizing that it was a scam attempt. When she returned home, she discovered that, shortly after her departure, her elderly mother had been contacted by telephone by a man who introduced himself as the Marshal of the Carabinieri of Gioiosa Marea. The man reported that a court consultant would arrive shortly. After a few minutes, the fake consultant showed up, informing the old woman that her daughter had hit a pedestrian and that, to compensate the victim, she would have to give him 300 euros and some gold objects. Convinced by the story, the woman handed over various gold jewelery and 100 euros in cash, for a total value of around 7,000 euros. Before leaving, the man asked for information on any bank accounts, but did not obtain further details. The Carabinieri of Gioiosa Marea intervened, acquiring the recordings of the surveillance cameras in the area. From the images a young man emerged whose characteristics corresponded to the description provided by the victim. Investigations revealed that the car used by the scammer had been rented by a man resident in the province of Catania. Further technical investigations made it possible to trace the man’s movements, undoubtedly identifying him as the perpetrator of the crime through photographic recognition. The Public Prosecutor’s Office, having evaluated the circumstantial framework, requested a precautionary measure, which was issued by the GIP Office of the Court of Patti, signed by Dr. Eugenio Aliquò. Having received the order, the Carabinieri tracked down the 21-year-old in Catania, where he was already subject to an obligation to report to the judicial police for similar facts. He was arrested and, during the house search, two cell phones and the clothing worn at the time of the crime were seized. After the formalities, the man was placed under house arrest. The investigations are still ongoing and, for those under investigation, the principle of presumption of innocence applies until a final sentence is reached, pursuant to art. 27 of the Constitution. By way of reassurance, it is underlined that the practice used by the suspect is unusual and does not fall within the operational procedures of the Carabinieri or the police forces.
The criminals often present themselves as law enforcement officers or lawyers, trying to exploit the emotions of victims to commit scams. It is essential to immediately report similar facts, even if they are only attempts, to allow the police to intervene effectively.
