A call to the family’s landline, a request to gather the family jewelry, and finally its handover to a man posing as a gendarme. A minor fell victim to a scam on Saturday morning in Falciano, in the Republic of San Marino.
The girl’s father recounted the incident in a Facebook post. The perpetrators identified themselves as law enforcement officers, claiming it was necessary to inspect the valuables kept in the home as part of an investigation.
To convince the young girl, the scammers reportedly assured her that her father was already aware of the matter. They also fabricated a story about a jewelry theft carried out using a car with a cloned license plate identical to her father’s.
This led to the request to gather all valuable items in the house, which, according to the false narrative, would be used to prove the family’s innocence in the theft.
The minor was then persuaded to share her mobile number and received a video call — a tactic likely used to keep her occupied and prevent her from contacting her father to verify the situation.
Following the instructions she was given, the girl eventually handed over the jewelry to a fake gendarme who was waiting for her in a parking area beneath the home, in a gray compact car.
The scam only came to light when the father returned home. After piecing together what had happened, he went to the Serravalle Brigade to file a police report.
Officers carried out an inspection of the area and have launched an investigation to identify those responsible for the fraud.
