Police in the Greater Athens region said Thursday they have arrested one suspect over a phone scam targeting an elderly woman who lost €200,000 to fraudsters posing as electricity company employees.
A police statement said the 50-year-old suspect was allegedly part of a group of scammers who called up a 71-year-old resident of the southern Athens suburb of Voula Saturday and talked her into leaving a large amount of cash and jewellery that she kept at home outdoors.
The scammers claimed that the woman’s home had wiring problems which would render it unsafe for her to keep cash and jewellery indoors, and urged her to leave them in a package outside. When she agreed, a member of the ring dropped by, picked up the package and vanished.
The scam, which is used in several variations, has proved highly effective and remunerative to criminals, while also posing a much lower risk than burglaries or home invasions. Despite repeated police public awareness drives and hundreds of arrests, many vulnerable people still fall victim to it.
Police said the suspect arrested Monday had prior arrests for similar scams.
