# Electronic fraud investigations in Crete > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/electronic-fraud-investigations-in-crete > Updated: 2026-09-02T08:56:00.000Z. Sources: 22. Developments: 2. Authorities in Crete are investigating a series of sophisticated electronic fraud incidents involving the theft of approximately 650,000 euros. The first incident involved the theft of roughly 152,000 euros from a regional service in Rethymno through a phishing scheme. Perpetrators used fraudulent websites to capture employee credentials and employed a ‘smurfing’ technique, executing 55 small, consecutive transactions overnight to evade detection. These funds were moved from Greek accounts to international financial institutions. The Greek Anti-Money Laundering Authority has since secured more than half of these stolen funds. A second, larger incident involving approximately 500,000 euros has been linked to the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos. This case utilized a similar methodology of mimicking banking interfaces to divert funds to unknown accounts abroad. The Anti-Money Laundering Authority is currently examining these incidents, which suggest a single criminal organization may be responsible for both attacks. Investigations remain ongoing to identify the perpetrators and recover the remaining assets. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-02: Crete electronic fraud targets municipalities for 500,000 euros Authorities in Crete are investigating two linked electronic fraud cases involving the theft of approximately 652,000 euros from regional and municipal accounts using sophisticated phishing and smurfing tactics 10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/crete-authorities-investigate-650000-euro-electronic-fraud-cases ### 2026-08-26: Region of Crete loses €152,000 in sophisticated bank phishing scam Fraudsters stole approximately €152,000 from the Region of Crete via a phishing scam. Authorities have already secured over half of the funds following an investigation into the rapid, fragmented transactions. 14 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/crete-regional-authorities-targeted-in-150000-euro-cyber-fraud --- Cite as: Electronic fraud investigations in Crete. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/electronic-fraud-investigations-in-crete