A 23-year-old man with ten prior fraud convictions has been arrested for the eleventh time on identical charges after attempting the notorious “fake marshal” scam on a 67-year-old woman in Forio d’Ischia. Thanks to a preventative campaign by the Carabinieri, the targeted senior recognized the fraud in progress and thwarted the con despite having already gathered cash and jewelry.
The suspect fled upon discovery. Officers faced difficulties gathering suspect details for a composite sketch due to the victim’s extreme agitation. Despite this, Carabinieri successfully intercepted the 23-year-old at the local ferry terminal.
Evidence extracted from the suspect’s smartphone included two screenshots: one showing an online news article titled “Sta carica la signora” detailing a recent, similar scam against another elderly Ischia resident that led to a 16-year-old’s arrest; the other displaying a Google Maps image of Forio’s town center.
The victim positively identified the young man, leading to his arrest. The targeted senior required hospital evaluation following the incident. Medical staff issued an 8-day prognosis for “non-specific anxiety disorder – benign essential hypertension – knee contusion – upper arm contusion.” The physical injuries resulted from the woman colliding with her front door during the frantic moments of the attempted scam.