Phone Scams in Pieria, Preveza, and Kastoria: Loss of €17,000 and 52 Gold Pounds

A case involving phone scams in Pieria, Preveza, and Kastoria has been uncovered by the Greek police. The members of the group were reportedly planning to deceive another victim. The scamming ring, which targeted areas in Epirus and Macedonia, managed to swindle €17,000 and 52 gold pounds worth €39,000 before being caught just before executing another scam. Specifically, law enforcement officers from the Division for the Pursuit and Detection of Crimes in Katerini arrested a foreign national on charges of fraud and involvement in a criminal organization. Her accomplice would call victims posing as a doctor, claiming that a relative needed urgent surgery and demanding money. In some cases, the female accomplice pretended to be the relative over the phone. Investigations revealed four successful scams and one attempted scam in Pieria, Preveza, and Kastoria. Between May 28 and June 11, three elderly women were defrauded out of €17,000 and 52 gold pounds (worth €39,000). The suspects also attempted to scam another elderly woman in Pieria for €50,000 but were unsuccessful. A vehicle, €450, 220 Bulgarian levs, two mobile phones, and one bank card were seized during the arrest. Authorities continue their investigation to identify other accomplices and potential involvement in similar crimes. Citizens are urged not to trust unknown individuals requesting money due to an alleged emergency involving relatives or friends, not to meet strangers, and always have emergency contact numbers available.