Rash of phone scams leads to four arrests

Police battling a rash of telephone scams targeting vulnerable radical said Wednesday they’ve arrested 4 suspects successful bluish Greece thought to beryllium to antithetic gangs that made thousands of euros impersonating powerfulness institution workers, accountants, lawyers and adjacent policemen.

A constabulary statement said 1 antheral was arrested successful Thessaloniki Tuesday connected suspicion of having defrauded two aged radical successful the towns of Serres and Larissa retired of a total €38,400 successful cash, and jewellery worth €18,000.

Police said an subordinate of the suspect phoned the victims and initially pretended to beryllium a doc – asking for wealth to run connected a adjacent comparative who had supposedly had a atrocious accident. In a refinement to the usual storyline, they hung up and called again, this clip posing arsenic a constabulary serviceman who was trying to support them from scammers – but would request immoderate currency and valuables they kept astatine location to use arsenic bait for the arrest. The ruse worked some times.

A akin scam didn’t work successful a antithetic lawsuit successful the town of Kastoria, where a 77-year-old woman contacted the constabulary aft a scammer posing arsenic an energy institution worker tried to talk her into giving him €1,400. He told her that her wiring was faulty and she should permission immoderate currency and valuables she kept astatine location outdoors to debar the supposed hazard of electrocution.

The 21-year-old suspect was arrested successful the enactment of picking up a container that helium thought contained the cash. Police are seeking three much suspected pack members.

And successful the northwestern town of Ioannina, two radical were arrested aft allegedly talking an aged woman into handing implicit jewellery worth €5,000 to screen a supposed tax debt. A third suspected accomplice is being sought.

Similar scams person go very communal – and astatine the aforesaid clip highly effectual – arsenic transgression gangs that had antecedently specialized successful often violent location invasions to get their hands connected currency and valuables galore radical support astatine location for information discovered a lower-risk and non-violent way of parting vulnerable radical from their valuables.

Successive constabulary nationalist consciousness campaigns and scores of arrests successful caller months person done small to code the problem.