Vibo Valentia, they collected the deposit from the victims and disappeared
(ANSA) – VIBO VALENTIA, MAY 23 – They published online, on sector portals, rental offers for holiday homes in Tropea, Cortina d’Ampezzo and Jesolo, which in reality did not exist, and, once the deposit was collected, from a few hundred for 3,000 euros, using fake lease contracts, they made themselves untraceable by deceiving the unsuspecting buyers who, having arrived on the spot, were forced to ascertain the non-existence of the tourist facility. Two alleged serial fraudsters, residing respectively in Pizzo and Soriano Calabro, in Calabria, were arrested – one in prison and the other under house arrest – by the carabinieri of Vibo Marina. The investigations, coordinated by the Vibo Valentia prosecutor’s office, made it possible to discover eight scams carried out between 2022 and 2023, amounting to around 3,000 euros by the first person and twenty-one episodes of the same type perpetrated by the second, the latter with unjust profits for approximately 23 thousand euros.
The system envisaged the advertisement in which the availability of the holiday home was offered, which was followed by the contact by the interested parties who, having viewed the offer, turned to the advertisers who, finally, induced the unsuspecting victims to pay a deposit on current accounts attributable to them.
To then lose track of them.
“The precautionary measures carried out – reports a note – are the result of the continuous work of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in bringing together criminal proceedings, a very effective method for bringing out the seriousness of the conduct alleged against the two alleged fraudsters. In fact, the same violations, dealt with separately, would not have allowed to reach a danger threshold such as to justify the issuance of a measure restricting personal freedom”.
The investigators’ work continues to ascertain the possible involvement of the two alleged scammers in further similar events, given the identical modus operandi found. Furthermore, an attempt is being made to understand whether the alleged authors of online scams acted independently or benefited from some form of support and advice from a criminal network that offers its services online. (HANDLE).
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