Elderly woman assists in arrest of scam caller
A man was arrested in the Peloponnesian city of Patra for attempted extortion after an elderly woman assisted police with the operation.
The elderly woman called the police after receiving a phone call from the man and another woman demanding 175,000 euros. The scam callers, pretending to be a doctor and the elderly woman’s daughter, claimed the daughter had been in a serious traffic accident and required medical help. When the man arrived at the elderly woman’s house to retrieve the money, she called the police, who arrested him immediately.
Pre-investigation proceedings indicated that the defendant, along with other unknown accomplices, had been committing similar fraudulent crimes since May, primarily targeting the elderly. The man faces charges of fraud and participation in a criminal organization.
The defendant will testify before a Patra prosecutor while police continue investigating potential past criminal activity.
Police have released guidelines to protect elderly residents due to a surge in scam caller crimes.
