Fraud involving fake tax official in Katerini: gold coins and jewellery worth €7,000
An elderly woman in Katerini lost gold coins and jewellery worth €7,000 to a perpetrator impersonating a tax official. The main suspect has been identified, according to the Greek police.
Perpetrator of fraud against elderly woman in Katerini identified
Gold coins and jewellery with a total value of €7,000 were taken from an elderly woman in Katerini by men impersonating tax authority employees. Police officers from the Katerini Subdivision for Crime Investigation and Detection resolved the case, as reported by Ethnos.
According to an announcement by the Greek police, a file was drawn up against a Greek national, whose details have been identified.
The fraud method
An accomplice of the main perpetrator telephoned the elderly woman, impersonating a tax authority employee. He claimed that there were outstanding tax obligations that needed to be settled immediately, otherwise the woman would face a fine.
Using this pretext, the perpetrators managed to obtain gold coins and jewellery worth €7,000 from the elderly woman. The items were collected by the identified man, according to the findings of the police investigation.
Investigations continue
The police are continuing investigations to identify the accomplice, as well as to determine whether the perpetrators are involved in other similar cases. The file will be submitted to the prosecutor of the Court of First Instance in Katerini.
Recommendations from the Greek police
In light of the incident, the General Regional Police Directorate of Central Macedonia is issuing recommendations to citizens. It urges them to be particularly careful when receiving telephone calls from unknown individuals who present themselves as public employees or representatives of authorities.
The Greek police also emphasise that citizens should not disclose whether they keep cash, jewellery or other valuable items in their homes. In the event of an attempted fraud, even if it is not completed, citizens are advised to immediately inform the police.
At the same time, the importance of informing relatives and friends, and especially elderly people, is stressed so that such incidents can be prevented in the future.
Source: Ethnos