A 23-year-old man has been arrested in connection with four telephone fraud cases targeting elderly residents in Heraklion, Crete, after police intercepted him moments before he was due to leave the island by ferry.
According to authorities, the suspect is accused of participating in a criminal group that carried out a series of scams on May 18 and 19. Investigators say members of the group contacted elderly victims by phone, posing as employees of an electricity company.
Using a fabricated story about a dangerous leak, the callers allegedly convinced victims to remove cash, valuables and jewelry from their homes and place them in an unsecured outdoor location for “safekeeping”.
A designated collector would then travel to the location and retrieve the items. Police said the group managed to obtain €200 in cash and jewelry valued at approximately €37,000 through the scheme.
Following an investigation, officers identified the 23-year-old as the person allegedly responsible for collecting the valuables from victims’ homes using a private vehicle.
The suspect was arrested on the evening of May 19 in Chania by officers from the local crime prevention and suppression unit. According to police, he had already boarded a ferry bound for Piraeus with his vehicle and was preparing to depart when officers stopped him shortly before sailing.
A search of the suspect and his vehicle led to the recovery of all the stolen jewelry, as well as a mobile phone believed to have been used in the alleged criminal activity.
The recovered valuables were returned to their lawful owners, while the vehicle was also seized as evidence because it was allegedly used in the commission of the offences.
