A major fraud case has come to light just days before the start of the Euroleague Final Four in Abu Dhabi, where Greek basketball giants Olympiacos and Panathinaikos are set to compete. Amid the frenzy for the now-scarce tickets, a woman posing as a well-connected insider managed to swindle thousands of euros from eager fans hoping to attend the high-profile event.
Presenting herself as a former journalist with a background in ecclesiastical reporting and a current career in public relations, the woman cultivated an image of someone deeply tied to the Church, claiming personal connections within the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
This persona helped her win the trust of over thirty businesspeople, whom she convinced she was organizing an exclusive trip to Abu Dhabi with VIP access to the games.
The victims paid hefty advances to secure their spots — only for the organizer to vanish without a trace. As suspicions grew, some of the victims banded together and set a trap by posing as new clients interested in the package. They arranged a meeting at an office in Marousi, Athens, where the woman was confronted with the fury of those she had deceived.
In her defense, the woman reportedly claimed the money might have been taken by her partner, whom she described as a hacker, or by a businessman from Abu Dhabi with whom the alleged deal had been made.
The case is now moving through the legal system, with estimates suggesting the total amount defrauded could reach as much as 500,000 euros.
This is not the first time the same woman has been implicated in similar scams. An earlier victim recounted on MEGA TV how they were scammed in summer 2023 after paying 5,600 euros for a New Year’s trip to Thailand that never materialized.
Their case uncovered a broader pattern, with around 50 people claiming similar experiences and total losses estimated at 90,000 euros.
