Fraud involving gold sovereigns in Larissa: one arrest and 15 new complaints
An operation by the Organised Crime Investigation Directorate in a settlement in Larissa, resulting in one arrest and 15 new victims filing witness statements.
Operation against fraud ring using sovereigns in Larissa – one arrest
An operation is currently underway by the Organised Crime Investigation Directorate in a settlement in Larissa, where a family that had already come to the attention of authorities was residing. As kathimerini.gr reports, one arrest has been made thus far.
In March 2026, officers from the same Directorate arrested four family members for forming a criminal organisation with the purpose of committing fraud and extortion against citizens. Following the publicisation of the case, a further 15 victims filed complaints with the police.
In consultation with the relevant prosecuting authorities, a new case file was established against the same defendants, with the addition of another person already serving a prison sentence for a different offence.
The operating method of the organisation: its members presented themselves as wealthy individuals facing liquidity problems and promised victims gold sovereigns at prices below their market value. Once they collected the money, they would disappear using various tricks, without ever handing over the sovereigns.
According to the police, in cases where victims insisted on receiving the coins or having their money returned, members of the organisation resorted to threats and intimidation.
The investigation revealed that their activities date back at least to 2021, and the ring is estimated to have fraudulently obtained a total of more than one million euros.
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)