Athens, March 5, 2026 – Greek authorities announced Thursday the successful raid on a sophisticated phone scam call center operating in the Zefyri district on the northwestern outskirts of Athens. The operation, conducted on Tuesday, led to the arrest of six individuals, including the alleged mastermind behind the scheme. Police estimate the criminal group, identified as a Roma organization, has defrauded primarily elderly and vulnerable individuals of hundreds of thousands of euros in recent months.
Operation Targets Organized Crime Group
According to a police statement, the arrested individuals face charges of aggravated fraud and money laundering. The gang is believed to have amassed at least €280,000 from approximately 40 victims since July 2025. The modus operandi involved convincing victims to leave cash and valuables outside their homes under various pretexts.
Deceptive Tactics Employed
The scammers employed two primary deceptive narratives. In one scenario, they impersonated employees of a power company, warning victims of a supposed home wiring fault that could lead to electrocution if immediate instructions were not followed. The urgency and technical jargon used in these calls were designed to induce panic and compliance. In another variation, the perpetrators posed as accountants, informing victims that their valuables needed to be officially registered with tax authorities, thereby necessitating their temporary removal from the home. In both cases, the promised return of money or valuables never materialized.
Police investigations revealed that victims were selected at random from online phone directories, indicating a broad and indiscriminate targeting strategy. The success of this seemingly transparent scam highlights the vulnerability of certain demographics to such manipulative tactics.
Widespread Scam Affects Multiple Regions
The Athens raid is part of a broader effort to combat a wave of similar phone scams that have plagued Greece. These types of fraud, often targeting the elderly, have been reported across the country, underscoring a significant challenge for law enforcement.
Incidents in Florina and Crete
In a related development, a 52-year-old man was apprehended on Wednesday in Florina, a town in northern Greece, while in the act of collecting €5,000 in cash and 18 British gold sovereigns, valued at approximately €18,000, from a 73-year-old woman. In this instance, the alleged scammers had posed as doctors, claiming an urgent need for cash to operate on a relative of the victim who had supposedly been involved in an accident. The swift action by the police prevented further financial loss for the victim.
Furthermore, in Rethymno, a town on the southern island of Crete, a man and a woman, both aged 40, were arrested on Thursday. They are accused of using similar deceptive tactics to defraud two individuals of a total of €950 and jewelry valued at €22,000. These incidents collectively demonstrate the prevalence and varied execution of these phone scams across different regions of Greece.
Police Urge Caution and Awareness
Authorities continue to advise the public, especially elderly citizens, to exercise extreme caution when receiving unsolicited calls requesting personal information, money, or valuables. They emphasize that legitimate organizations, such as power companies or tax authorities, do not conduct business in this manner. The police encourage anyone who suspects they have been targeted by such a scam to immediately report the incident to the nearest police station.
The successful raid in Athens and the subsequent arrests represent a significant step in disrupting these criminal networks and protecting vulnerable members of society from financial exploitation. Investigations are ongoing, and authorities are working to identify any further connections and bring more perpetrators to justice.
Source: https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1297120/police-raid-phone-scam-call-center-in-athens-arrest-6/
