Elderly women defrauded of over 110,000 euros by scam ring in Lamia, Greece

A criminal ring that systematically defrauded elderly women in Lamia, Greece, has been dismantled by the local police. Three suspects, aged 42, 16, and 29, were arrested after allegedly swindling victims out of more than 110,000 euros in cash and jewelry within a two-day period.

The arrests occurred in two phases. The first two suspects, a 42-year-old and the 16-year-old, were apprehended on the evening of July 18, 2026. The third suspect, aged 29, was located the following morning. Police have filed charges against them for criminal conspiracy and repeated fraud.

Investigations revealed that the group operated by calling elderly women and impersonating employees of the electricity company (DEI). They fabricated stories about electrical faults to gain the victims' trust. Subsequently, they instructed the women to place their money and jewelry in bags and leave them at designated spots outside their homes for collection. A specific car was used to transport the stolen valuables.

Authorities successfully recovered all the stolen jewelry from the minor suspect. These items are slated to be returned to the victims. The 29-year-old suspect also had an outstanding arrest warrant for aggravated theft cases issued by the Lamia Investigating Judge.