Cathy Kelley Reveals She Nearly Fell Victim to Carjacking Scam in Italy

Cathy Kelley nearly became the target of a carjacking scam in Italy—and she’s now detailing how quickly things escalated during what started as a normal drive into Milan.

While speaking with Zelina Vega and Dakota Kai, Cathy Kelley shared a detailed story about nearly becoming the victim of a carjacking setup while traveling in Italy. She explained that the situation started off like a normal travel day, as she and her group were driving into Milan after making a stop in another city.

“I was almost carjacked in Italy. So, I tried to do a lot of solo experiences… we were actually driving into Milan from another city that we had stopped at.”

As they got closer to the city, Kelley said they began noticing suspicious activity—including a robbery happening in plain sight. Things escalated quickly after that. Kelley described how two men on Vespas approached their car and tried to get their attention by claiming something was wrong with the tire.

“As we were pulling into the city, we saw this one guy—he had like a Rolex or something—get it stolen right off the street. Then we’re driving a little further, and something else like that caught our attention. Then we’re on the edge of the city, and these two guys on Vespas come up on either side. We realized he was saying ‘flat tire,’ but our tire pressure was fine, so we kept driving.”

According to Kelley, the situation was actually a setup. While one man distracted them, the other allegedly damaged the tire without them realizing. She explained that the men then tried to guide them into pulling over in a less crowded area—something that immediately raised red flags for her.

“I think that’s when the other person popped the tire in the back and sped off—but we didn’t clock it because he’s distracting us. He’s like, ‘Pull over, pull over.’… ‘No, no, no—down further, too much traffic. I’ll help you change it.’ But it was a much quieter area, not a busy street—and that’s when my instincts started going off.”

At that point, Kelley said she refused to follow instructions and instead focused on keeping everyone safe. She also took an extra step to protect herself—recording the interaction, which later helped confirm her suspicions.

“Then he says the car is too heavy and that we need to take our bags out. That’s when I said no. I told my friend to lock herself inside… ‘Do not open it for any reason.’ He kept insisting we take things out, and at that point I started recording him. When I watched the footage back later… he was actually screwing it the wrong way—he was just buying time.”

Kelley also noticed signs that the man wasn’t acting alone, which added to the danger of the situation. Eventually, the group decided to leave—and that’s when the situation took another turn. They drove away on the damaged tire and soon discovered just how deliberate the setup had been.

“He was also on the phone with someone, with earpieces in—which I clocked. After a few minutes, we decided to leave. He started getting really angry, and that’s when I knew we were right. We ended up driving with a completely flat tire… when we got out, we saw the tire had been stabbed—it wasn’t a nail or anything. It was clearly a setup.”

Kelley said they were able to get the tire fixed, but the experience left a lasting impression—and could have ended much worse. She added that this type of scam isn’t rare, according to locals.

“The vacation was kind of ruined, but we were really lucky. It could have been so much worse. They told us they see this about once a week. What usually happens is they get you to take your bags out… and then a van pulls up, takes all your stuff, and drives off.”

What started as a routine drive turned into a near carjacking—and Kelley getting out of it without losing anything came down to trusting her instincts at the right moment. It’s a reminder that even in broad daylight, these setups can unfold fast, and one wrong move could change everything.

Do you think more awareness needs to be raised about scams like this, or is this just part of the risk when traveling? Let us know your thoughts below.

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