€5.8 million fraud through NGO for sick children – 6 arrests
A criminal organisation that defrauded donors through fundraising campaigns for children with cancer has been dismantled, having stolen over €5.8 million.
Criminal gang dismantled for defrauding donors through campaigns for sick children
Six members of a criminal organisation were arrested on the morning of Friday, 30 October 2026, in a large-scale police operation carried out across multiple regions of the country, according to skai.gr. The organisation operated systematically through an association-NGO, exploiting citizens' sensitivity towards children suffering from serious illnesses.
The case was uncovered by the Organised Crime Countermeasures Subdivision of Northern Greece, under the coordination of the Economic Crimes Prosecution Department. The operation involved police authorities from 21 regions, including Piraeus, Larissa, Kozani, Elis, Trikala, Chania, Zakynthos, Kavala and Rhodes.
How the organisation operated
The criminal organisation was divided into two sub-groups with distinct roles, connected through a common member. The first sub-group, consisting of a 37-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man, had been formed at least since October 2018. They used the association-NGO as a tool for systematic fundraising collection, under the pretext of providing financial assistance to children suffering from cancer or other serious illnesses and disabilities.
To lend credibility to their activities, they posted photographs of sick children on social media together with appeals to cover hospitalisation costs, medical procedures, transportation and accommodation for their families. Among the donors were well-known artists, athletes and businesspeople, whose donations the organisation publicised to strengthen public trust and attract more sponsors. The fundraising activities were conducted without the permission required by law.
Only a small portion reached the children
From cross-checks, a total of 92 fundraising activities for 74 beneficiary individuals emerged, of which 55 have been identified. However, only a small portion of the collected funds reached the eligible recipients. The majority was unlawfully appropriated by the 37-year-old man and the 35-year-old woman.
Donation funds were deposited both in bank accounts of the association and in personal accounts of the 37-year-old through the IRIS service. Subsequently, the amounts not distributed to families were recycled into personal accounts of those involved, used to cover personal expenses or channelled into accounts of fictitious companies.
Characteristic case of blackmail against a rival
Particularly revealing is a recorded case in which the organisation turned against the mother of a child with cancer who was attempting to collect donations independently of the association. The members deposited a sum of money into her bank account and subsequently filed a fraud complaint with the bank, resulting in the deactivation of her account. They then offered to help her, with the ulterior motive of bringing her back to conducting fundraising through their association.
Over €5.8 million and involvement in match-fixing
The financial investigation was conducted with the assistance of the Authority for Combating Money Laundering from Criminal Activities. Twenty-nine bank accounts and payment institution accounts in Greece and abroad were examined, whilst more than 246,000 transactions were analysed. From the analysis it emerged that during the period 2018–2026 a total amount exceeding €5,800,000 was credited to association accounts and individual accounts of the 37-year-old man.
The total amount of funds collected in cash through events and collection boxes at various locations throughout the country remains unclear. Furthermore, part of the illicit proceeds are said to have been used for football match-fixing and financing of football associations.
Charges and opening of the case
A case file was prepared against the arrested individuals for criminal organisation, aggravated fraud, aggravated embezzlement, money laundering from criminal activities, breach of sports legislation, as well as bribery and acceptance of bribes for match result manipulation. The case was initiated following a complaint regarding the transparency of the association's operations, after which a prosecutors' order was issued and followed by detailed police and financial investigations.
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)