Greece: Two arrested for phone scams impersonating electricity company staff

Police in Serres, Greece, have arrested two people, a woman and a man, in connection with a series of phone scams targeting residents in the region. A third man, whose identity has been confirmed, is also implicated in the case. The arrests followed an investigation into fraudulent calls where perpetrators posed as employees of the electricity provider, HEDNO (ΔΕΔΔΗΕ).

In one incident, a scammer contacted a woman in Serres, claiming an issue with the power grid. The victim was convinced to gather her cash and jewelry and place them in a bag outside her home for supposed protection. The fraudsters managed to steal 10,000 euros in cash and jewelry valued at another 10,000 euros. However, swift action by the Serres police, with assistance from the DI.AS. team, led to the apprehension of the woman who had collected the stolen items. All the money and jewelry were recovered and returned to the victim.

The investigation revealed that the arrested woman had collaborated with two men and another accomplice to carry out similar phone scams. One of the men was apprehended in Kozani, with the local police assisting in his capture. During his arrest, 65 narcotic pills and 250 euros were seized. These items were confiscated for further examination.

Authorities have so far solved one completed phone scam and two attempted cases that occurred on June 9 and 10 in various parts of Serres. In these instances, the perpetrators stole jewelry worth 3,000 euros and unsuccessfully attempted to obtain 10,000 euros in cash and jewelry valued at 5,000 euros. Investigations are ongoing to identify the fourth accomplice and explore the suspects' potential involvement in other similar criminal activities. The two arrested individuals have been presented to the Serres Public Prosecutor's Office.

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With the pretext of a supposed malfunction in the power grid, he convinced her to gather the money and jewelry she kept in her home and place them in a bag outside the house, allegedly for protection reasons.