Fraud in Atalanti: 19-year-old arrested in police ambush
A 19-year-old was arrested in Atalanti after police set an ambush for fraudsters who posed as an accountant and a police officer. The 25-year-old driver escaped and is being sought.
Police ambush foils fraud attempt in Atalanti
According to Ta Nea, police from the Locris Phthiotis Police Department arrested a 19-year-old in Atalanti yesterday after he and a 25-year-old accomplice attempted to defraud a citizen by posing as an accountant and a police officer respectively. The fraud was not completed — it collapsed before any money could be transferred.
In the afternoon, an unknown perpetrator called the victim posing as an "accountant" and attempted to extract money from him. Subsequently, a second unknown person, pretending to be a "police officer", contacted the victim by telephone and persuaded him to meet at a specific location for the transfer of the funds.
The citizen realised the fraud and immediately notified the authorities. Police from the Locris Police Department asked him to pretend to accept the meeting whilst they set an ambush at the meeting point. A car arrived at the meeting with two occupants. The passenger — the 19-year-old — got out of the vehicle to collect the money, but as soon as he spotted the police officers he fled. He was stopped a short distance away and arrested. The driver, the 25-year-old, reacted by accelerating sharply and escaped.
The car was located and seized later in the Attica region. A mobile telephone was found in the possession of the arrested person and was seized. The 25-year-old driver has been identified and, according to the authorities, his arrest is a matter of time. A case file has been opened against both suspects for attempted fraud, dangerous driving, and disobedience. The 19-year-old will be taken before the Lamia District Court Prosecutor's Office.
The General Regional Police Directorate of Central Greece announced the case, whilst also recalling a serious fraud matter that was solved in early August in Thebes. There, perpetrators posing as "accountants" managed to extract approximately €400,000 in cash and jewellery from an elderly woman. The two perpetrators have been identified and arrest warrants are expected to be issued against them.
The Regional Police Directorate of Central Greece points out that fraudsters frequently approach their victims by telephone or unexpectedly, presenting themselves as "DEDDHE employees", "tax officials", "lawyers", accountants or police officers. They demand money and jewellery on various pretexts — repair of a technical problem, avoidance of a fine from the tax authority, or settlement of alleged debts of relatives. The Directorate states that it will continue with undiminished intensity its efforts to combat such offences and protect citizens, particularly the elderly.
Source: Ta Nea