Suspect arrested over alleged banknote forgery scam
Officers with the Hellenic Police’s (ELAS) electronic crimes division have arrested one suspect and are seeking another four in connection with an alleged forgery scam worth thousands of euros.
Officers were tipped off to the scam by a victim who was approached online by a man posing as a “representative” on an international bank offering extremely favorable terms on a loan. Once the victim showed interest in the offer, the unnamed suspect suggested a more profitable scheme based on forged banknotes.
The unnamed victim “invested” in the scheme in two installments, paying the suspect 74,000 and 150,000 euros in cash on two separate occasions, believing he would get double back from forgeries.
The suspect was arrested last week while accepting 3,450 euros in marked bills that were allegedly intended to help him purchase the chemical and papers needed to produce the forgeries, ELAS said in an announcement on Monday.
During a raid on his workshop, police seized packs of paper destined to produce fake 100-euro banknotes.
The suspect is believed to have been working with at least four more people, who are being sought as the investigation into the gang’s activities continues.
ELAS urges residents who are approached with such suspect propositions to seek assistance on its 11188 hotline.
