[REVISION HISTORY]

Elderly telephone fraud scams in Greece and Turkey

Updated 17 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-01 04:44 UTC → 2026-09-04 22:13 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Since July 2024, Greek police have conducted numerous operations against telephone-fraud rings targeting senior citizens. Previous investigations in areas such as Kastoria, Ioannina, and Achaea dismantled networks using impersonation of accountants, doctors, or utility staff to steal cash and jewellery. In August 2026, several high-value incidents were reported. In Boeotia, a 90-year-old woman lost €400,000 and jewellery after being told tax authorities were using a “recording satellite” to detect valuables; a 93-year-old woman in a nearby village lost €5,000 and jewellery via the same method. In Patras, a 91-year-old woman was targeted by a two-step tactic involving death threats followed by a call from someone impersonating a police officer; she lost €8,000 in cash and €20,000 in jewellery after hiding them under a trash bin. Law enforcement has continued to dismantle these networks. In Messenia, police dismantled a criminal organization of nine individuals, aged 21 to 33, who operated between March and July 2026. By impersonating employees of the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (DEDDIE) and claiming imminent risks of explosion, the group stole an estimated €381,475 and 4,600 Canadian dollars. In Agios Dimitrios, three men were arrested for defrauding an 88-year-old man by impersonating electricity provider employees; they convinced him to drop jewellery and cash from a balcony into a bag. In Agrinio, an off-duty officer intervened during an extortion attempt where a duo stole €5,000 and €25,000 worth of jewellery from an 80-year-old man by convincing him to leave the items in his courtyard. Additionally, in the Athens area, authorities dismantled a group in Nea Smyrni and Palaio Faliro where a leader posed as an accountant to secure fraudulent “tax refunds or retroactive pensions.” In early September 2026, an 80-year-old woman in Thessaloniki’s Stavroupoli district was defrauded for a second time.

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