Garda Fraudsters Impersonate Police to Target Local Businesses

They impersonate Carabinieri when making phone calls to hoteliers, shopkeepers, artisans, and restaurateurs in the Middle and Upper Garda area, offering subscriptions to military magazines.

These are not military personnel, but fraudsters who, depending on the occasion, claim to belong to the finance police, the police, the fire brigade, or the municipal police.

How to recognize scams and how to react

They often offer subscriptions to nonexistent magazines or publications that have nothing to do with law enforcement authorities.

Therefore, be vigilant and immediately notify the genuine Carabinieri — just dial 112 — as soon as you suspect you have been targeted by someone who,

after acquiring money, ceases to make any further contact.