Overview

• A 16-year-old from Varcaturo faces attempted extortion charges after demanding €450 for the return of Cindy, a Maltese dog reported missing on a WhatsApp group
• Carabinieri organized a covert meeting that led to Cindy’s safe recovery and the teenager’s arrest without any ransom being paid
• Review of chat logs and call data uncovered the involvement of the suspect’s father, a known repeat offender now formally accused as an accomplice
• Officials are probing whether a third party helped orchestrate the scheme or if an alleged older caretaker was a diversionary tactic
• Authorities warn the case demonstrates how public pet-loss alerts on messaging apps can be exploited for opportunistic online extortion