Crete police warn of rising scams after student rental fraud

Police in Agios Nikolaos, Crete, have issued a warning regarding a rise in telephone and internet-based scams targeting unsuspecting citizens, particularly the elderly. Petros Zervakis, commander of the Agios Nikolaos Crime Investigation Sub-directorate, noted an alarming increase in deceptive calls and digital fraud within the Lasithi prefecture.

One specific incident involved a student from Agios Nikolaos who fell victim to a rental scam in Palaio Faliro. After finding an apartment listing online, the student paid three months of rent in advance to a woman posing as the owner. The woman had reportedly been using the property for short-term Airbnb rentals when it was vacant, using furniture to stage the apartment for prospective tenants. When the student arrived in Athens to move in, she discovered the apartment was already occupied by vacationers.