Elderly Greek man duped in phone scam forced to deliver €37,000 in Athens

Fraudsters posing as tax officials called an elderly couple in the village of Argos Orestiko, Kastoria, claiming a large tax debt. The victims were persuaded to surrender around 20 gold coins and additional jewelry of considerable personal value.

The next day the scammers called again, saying the gold was insufficient, and convinced the 83‑year‑old husband to travel alone from Kastoria to Athens. There he withdrew roughly €37,000 from his savings and handed the cash to the callers. The man's wife, alarmed by his long absence, broke the phone line and alerted police. After hours of searching, the elderly man contacted his wife and the authorities, confirming he had already delivered the money. Police are now investigating to locate and arrest the members of the fraud ring.