A 32-year-old woman from Albania has been arrested in Athens for posing as a domestic caregiver and stealing approximately €40,000 in cash and valuables from elderly residents in the northern suburbs—specifically in Ekali and Agia Paraskevi.
Deception and Theft Under the Guise of Care
According to Greek police, the suspect placed online advertisements offering domestic assistance, targeting elderly individuals living alone or with limited mobility. She presented herself as a trustworthy, experienced caregiver—claiming to be from Italy and residing in Gerakas—and even fabricated details about having a young child to bolster her credibility. Once hired, she quickly gained the confidence of her victims, often offering unsolicited health advice to further ingratiate herself.
Her modus operandi involved gaining access to homes under the pretense of providing care—particularly for elderly men with health conditions—then exploiting moments when she was left alone to search for valuables. In one case, a victim recounted how she deliberately placed her husband’s wallet—containing €80—in a locked drawer in another room, leaving only the balcony door slightly ajar as a test. The suspect visited the home around four or five times before disappearing without notice. Upon returning, the victim discovered the wallet missing—and later realized high-value jewelry had also vanished.
Previous Criminal Record and Identification
Investigators from the Kifissia Security Directorate identified the suspect after cross-referencing her profile with prior criminal activity. She was not unknown to authorities: her name had previously appeared in connection with similar fraud and theft cases, and she was even linked to an organized theft ring operating in the greater Athens area.
Police located and arrested her on the morning of Thursday, 27 August 2026, in Ekali. Following her interrogation before the investigating magistrate, she was released pending trial under a restrictive condition: she must report once a month to the local police station in her area of residence.