Kastoria Police Arrest 'Collector' in Phone Scam Targeting Woman for Over 8,000 Euros

Police in Kastoria, Greece, have dismantled a criminal organization specializing in phone scams that targeted citizens. The operation came to light after a 47-year-old woman became the target of a sophisticated fraud attempt and promptly alerted the authorities.

The scam began when the woman received a call on her landline from an unknown woman claiming to be from an accounting office. The scammer falsely stated that the woman had been fined by the tax office and offered to mediate the deletion of this fabricated penalty. During the conversation, two unknown men joined in, corroborating the imposter's claims.

Under the pretext of finalizing the "fine deletion process," the fraudsters convinced the woman to gather valuables and cash to hand over to an accomplice. However, the intended victim recognized the fraudulent nature of the scheme and immediately contacted the police. A coordinated operation by the Kastoria Security Sub-Directorate's Crime Detection and Investigation Department and the Argos Orestiko Police Department was launched to apprehend the perpetrators.

Later that day, officers caught the "collector" red-handed as he attempted to receive a package containing gold jewelry, 14 gold coins (liras), and 8,200 euros from the 47-year-old woman. The suspect, a 22-year-old local man, was arrested at the scene. His vehicle, found nearby, contained two minors and another 22-year-old woman, who were also taken into custody. Authorities are now searching for three additional accomplices. Charges of fraud and membership in a criminal organization have been filed against the arrested adults, while the parents of the minors face charges for neglect of supervision. The investigation is ongoing to identify the remaining members of the ring.