The attention of the Carabinieri of the Scalea Company, with the constant impulse and coordination of the Public Prosecutor of Paola, in the prevention and repression of scams, especially if aimed at that strip of population most exposed to the particular type of crime, is always maximum.
A proof of this is what happened on the afternoon of Wednesday 4 June. A call from the emergency number 112 which reported a probable scam in place in the municipality of Orsomarso immediately activated an articulated device consisting of Civetta cars of the Operational Section of the Norm of the Company and patrols with institute colors of the Carabinieri Station of Orsomarso.
An elderly woman from Orsomarso had in fact received an anonymous call from a subject who, qualified as a carabinieri marshal, had told her that her son had caused a serious accident in Scalea and that he needed € 8 thousand to avoid judicial problems.
The nephew and daughter of the elderly lady, realizing the scam that was being made, triggered the alarm by alerting the carabinieri who promptly intervened by setting up near the house in a safety frame. During the conversation lasting uninterruptedly for over 2 hours, the anonymous interlocutor repeatedly reiterated not to hook the phone handset and provided precise instructions to make the cash delivered and other gold jewelry present at home by the victim to a third person who would come shortly.
And indeed after a while, a 51 -year -old subject came from the province of Naples who, while approaching the gate of the home to receive the money, was blocked by the carabinieri and taken to the barracks: he was arrested in the act for attempted aggravated fraud.
In recent months, several awareness -raising meetings against the elderly scams from the elderly from the carabinieri stations dependent on the Scalea company have been held in many places of the Upper Tyrrhenian area. Attention must always be maximum above all to prevent scams and thefts against the most fragile population bands and the goal is to provide useful advice to defend themselves from the scams, whose authors find increasingly diversified systems to act, very often, as in the case just narrated, falsely qualifying as belonging to the institutions or employees of public services to acquire the trust of the victims by also pulling close relatives in order to obtain money.
Small but important precautions that the commanders of the local stations highlighted at the end of the religious celebrations and in the aggregation centers for the elderly in the various municipalities.
During the various meetings, which was attended by a large number of people, flyers containing useful tips were also delivered to prevent scams.
It is recommended to: do not open the door to strangers; Do not let out of the house enter, especially the people who live alone; check from the peephole or open with the safety chain; Before letting a person belonging to a public service such as employees of Poste, Luce, Water and Gas or even law enforcement companies, ask for the performance of an identification card; Do not call the telephone users provided by the person who shows up at the door as it could be an accomplice; Do not deliver money or precious objects to strangers who qualify as public or private officials; limit confidence on the internet and on the phone, not disseminating personal data and information; Uprifying unknown people decisively, to whom the door was inadvertently opened, to exit.
Above all, in case of doubt, it is reiterated that it is necessary to immediately call 112.