Postal workers in Rome’s V Municipio intercepted an attempted fraud on an 85-year-old man who was preparing to send a 900-euro wire transfer to scammers, according to [RomaToday].
The victim, who had been in contact with the perpetrators for two years, believed he was paying to unlock funds invested in Bitcoin.
The manager of the post office became suspicious when she observed the man conducting the transaction while speaking on his mobile phone. She noticed he appeared to be following precise instructions from the person on the other end of the line.
“I chose to take time before making the transfer, to try to understand better what was happening,” the post office manager told [RomaToday].
She interviewed the customer to determine the origin of the request and the necessity of the transfer. Her investigation revealed that the man had already sent multiple previous payments to the same beneficiaries.
The staff followed internal Poste Italiane anti-fraud procedures, which included contacting local law enforcement to intervene.
“I wanted to understand who was asking him to make that transfer, why it was necessary, and if he had previously made other similar transfers and how long he had been in contact with these people,” the manager said.
“The more we delved, the more elements emerged that did not convince me.”
Authorities arrived at the location, and with the help of a family member who was called to the scene, they convinced the victim to halt the operation. Poste Italiane said that the daily vigilance of front-office staff remains a primary defense against such financial crimes, allowing intervention before the loss of funds occurs.
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