Telephone fraud gang with €690,000 in proceeds dismantled in Piraeus
A criminal group that impersonated police officers and defrauded elderly people in Attica and Thessaloniki has been dismantled by Greek police. The members had obtained a total of €690,000 over 14 months.
Telephone fraud gang with €690,000 in proceeds dismantled in Piraeus
Police officers arrested a 30-year-old foreign national on the spot in Piraeus at the moment he was attempting to obtain money and jewellery from a woman. The operation led to the detection and dissolution of a wider network of fraudsters that had been operating since April 2025.
The perpetrators contacted potential victims by telephone, presenting themselves as officials of the prosecuting authorities. Using false stories about danger to their relatives, they forced the victims to hand over their savings. In this particular case, they asked the victim to place her valuables in a bag inside a rubbish bin near her home.
The woman, however, realised the fraud and immediately informed the authorities. Police officers who had set up an ambush at the location arrested the 30-year-old at the moment he collected the items. The arrested man had arrived there by taxi and was maintaining telephone contact with an accomplice.
The preliminary investigation revealed that the group had committed at least 29 similar offences in Athens and Thessaloniki. The total profit from their activities is estimated at €690,000. The stolen goods were transferred to accomplices abroad. To avoid detection, they used connections with foreign call codes.
In a search of the 30-year-old's house, €7,060 in cash and many jewels were found, which were confiscated. He was taken before the prosecutor, whilst the search continues for other members of the organisation.
Information from: Skai.gr
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)