Telephone scams using AI voices target elderly people in Greece
Dozens of telephone fraud cases using fake AI voices are being recorded in Greece. The elderly are primarily targeted, while a national fraud-fighting centre is being planned.
AI frauds: "Daughter", "grandson" and fake police target elderly people
The Cybercrime Prosecution Directorate recently issued a detailed statement about a wave of telephone scams using recorded artificial intelligence messages. According to kathimerini.gr, perpetrators imitate the voices of police officers, relatives or public services to extract money or personal information from their victims.
In a typical scenario, the person called hears a female voice informing them that "the Hellenic Police is calling" and that their identity documents have been involved in illegal activity. The Cybercrime Prosecution clarifies that "the perpetrators' aim is to cause anxiety and a sense of urgency, so that the victim follows their instructions without evaluating the credibility of the call". The Hellenic Police never use automated messages, do not ask for a number to be pressed on a keyboard, and do not request banking details over the phone.
Elderly people in the crosshairs
The most frequent calls concern alleged accidents involving relatives. A 95-year-old woman recently received a phone call from a woman who presented herself as her daughter and asked for money, claiming she was hospitalised. A few days later, a young man contacted the same woman, impersonating her grandson — also asking for money. When she replied that she did not have any, the perpetrator told her: "Well, don't you have money for your funeral?"
Scams targeting businesses and via Gov.gr
The phenomenon is not limited to the elderly. A businessman received repeated calls from individuals impersonating accountants; "the day before yesterday an employee nearly gave the card details and the three-digit code", he told Kathimerini. The previous month, 35-year-old Ioanna received an SMS allegedly from Gov.gr about a traffic violation while driving on an island in the Saronic Gulf. The message directed her to a website where she had to enter her details to pay 70 euros. "It looked very much like the real one", she said, "and I was about to give them, until I saw that the message was from gr.gov and realised it was a scam".
Felony prosecutions and national fraud centre
As the use of artificial intelligence facilitates perpetrators, authorities are preparing a stricter legal framework. According to information from kathimerini.gr, perpetrators are expected to soon face felony charges regardless of the amount of the fraud. At the same time, the creation of a national centre to address fraud is being planned, with the participation of the "Greek FBI" and the Cybersecurity Directorate; banks, telecommunications providers and the Money Laundering Authority will be connected to this centre.
The Cybercrime Prosecution advises citizens to immediately terminate any call requesting personal or banking details, without negotiation.
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)