It sounds like the plot of a farce, but it happened for real. In Naples, two men sold an apartment by presenting a look-alike as the rightful owner, defrauding both buyer and seller. The scheme collapsed only at the final stage, when police stepped in and made two arrests.

The property, located in via Cariteo near Fuorigrotta, belonged to a 79-year-old man living in the Chiaia district. He had rented it to a 44-year-old tenant, Pasquale Presutto, who over time obtained copies of the owner’s documents under the pretext of renovation work.

Presutto then recruited a 70-year-old man, Nicola Criscuola, strikingly similar to the real owner. With forged documents and the false seller in place, the pair completed the notarial deed and collected a €95,000 deposit.

The fraud was uncovered by the owner’s nephew, who noticed irregularities and checked the land registry, discovering the property had already changed hands. Police organised a sting operation and arrested the suspects as they arrived to collect the final €50,000 payment.

Phones, false IDs, credit cards and legal papers were seized. Both men now face charges of aggravated fraud and identity substitution.