Italians live in luxury hotels without paying

Always elegant, always friendly: AFR stays in luxury hotels across Italy for over a year, then leaves without paying the bill. Three days ago, the fraudster spent the night at a resort in South Tyrol, one of his favorite regions.

Now Police Commissioner Paolo Sartori wants to put an end to these crimes – he has issued mandatory evacuations against the man to 32 municipalities in South Tyrol. The hoteliers' association Hgv circulated among its members a covert image of the culprit and a detailed description of his activities.

As reported by the “Corriere della Sera”, AFR is said to be 46 years old and from the province of Naples. So he is 1.70 meters tall and has short, dark brown hair. When checking in at reception of 5 star hotels, he always gives a different name. Sometimes his name is Simone Troppelli, sometimes the surnames Francesco Zanetti, Tusso or Rosso are used.

He always makes reservations at short notice and then travels in a rented luxury car. He has no luggage – his personal belongings are packed in plastic bags. He presents himself as a top manager of big companies from Amazon to Cartier, Ducati or Bulgari and gives business cards to hotel staff. He acts as if he is currently on a business trip.

To appear credible, he fakes important work phone calls. He uses all the hotel services available in his “spare time”.

A few days later, AFR disappeared from a hotel in Alpe di Siusi and the scammer left in the middle of the night. When checked in the Isarco Valley, he admitted that he was unable to pay a bill for 6,500 euros (equivalent to about 6,300 francs). When the police arrived, a complaint was filed against him, but the security forces eventually released him. As the “Corrian” further writes, no preventive action can be taken against the man until he is actually declared guilty.

The Bolzano public prosecutor's office is investigating the man: AFR has been accused of fraud, fraudulent bankruptcy and identity theft. The first case against him begins in May.