Ten elderly residents in the Baiano district and Monteforte Irpino recognized attempted phone scams and alerted the Carabinieri, avoiding financial loss.
According to the Provincial Command of the Carabinieri of Avellino, reported by IrpiniaNews, the callers presented themselves by telephone as members of the police forces and asked for money or gold objects. The residents identified the calls as attempted fraud and contacted the Carabinieri of the Baiano Company. Patrols and vigilance in the affected areas were intensified, and investigations were opened.
Local prevention work includes public meetings, reports shared across the network of Carabinieri stations, and rapid circulation of information about ongoing attempts. In this case, that awareness helped residents recognize the pattern and report it.
The methods reported
The cases reported in Irpinia followed a pattern frequently described by the Carabinieri: the caller claims an official role to create trust and urgency, then asks for cash or valuables.
The Carabinieri identify two recurrent variants as the "finto Carabiniere" and the "finto nipote", often accompanied by requests for money in connection with alleged family emergencies. No member of the police forces asks for money to resolve alleged legal situations.
What is not yet known is who made the calls, which telephone numbers were used, or whether arrests or formal complaints have followed. The available information does not break down how many of the ten attempts occurred in Baiano and how many in Monteforte Irpino. No amount of money or value of goods taken has been reported; the available accounts indicate the attempts were stopped.
What to do during a suspicious call
The Carabinieri recommend ending a suspicious call, not handing over money or valuables, and calling 112.
Practical steps, drawn from official Carabinieri guidance:
- End the suspicious call rather than continuing the conversation.
- Do not hand over money, gold, or other valuables to strangers.
- Do not open the door to unknown visitors without verifying their identity.
- Contact a trusted family member or acquaintance before taking any action.
- Call 112 to report the attempt and ask for guidance.
These steps apply whether the caller claims to be a police officer or claims to be calling on behalf of a relative. A genuine officer will not ask for payment by telephone or at the door.
Why information campaigns matter
The Ministry of the Interior identifies information campaigns and self-protection behavior as tools to reduce the risk of victimization among older people.
National figures provide context for that approach. In 2022, people over 65 accounted for about 23.8% of Italy's resident population, and the same Interior Ministry report recorded 12,649 victims over 65 of online fraud in that year. The national report covers mainly the period 2019-2022 and does not measure the specific situation in the Baiano area.
For residents in Avellino province, the immediate lesson is local: public meetings, station-level reporting, and prompt sharing of warnings helped ten people recognize a familiar script — a caller claiming authority and asking for money or gold — and respond by contacting the Carabinieri of Baiano.
