Greece announces new measures to combat electronic and telephone fraud

Greek authorities are implementing sweeping measures to combat a surge in electronic and telephone fraud, particularly targeting the elderly. The Ministry of Citizen Protection has proposed 13 specific actions, including the establishment of a 24-hour National Fraud Counteraction Center (EKAΑ) to connect the police, banks, telecommunications providers, and tax authorities.

Proposed measures include creating a national 'Fraud Intelligence' database, a unified 'Fraud Alert' system among banks, and a program to identify 'money mules' used for laundering illicit funds. To protect vulnerable citizens, the government is considering the distribution of specialized emergency devices that allow the elderly to alert the police with a single button press.

Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis has called the targeting of seniors a 'plague' and vowed that perpetrators will face much harsher penalties, including imprisonment. This follows a recent police investigation that dismantled a sophisticated criminal network in Spata, which used fake utility company identities to defraud victims of over 240,000 euros through approximately 889 attempts.