Authorities are preparing to draft much tougher penalties for phone scams, along with deportation procedures for foreign nationals involved in gold chain snatchings, Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis said on Tuesday, as he described fraud targeting elderly people in the country as an “epidemic”.
Speaking to state broadcaster ERT, Chrysochoidis said organized groups were operating call centers and persuading elderly victims to hand over their assets. He said arrests in such cases often involve multiple suspects because the scams are carried out by organized groups. “My prediction is that we will put an end to this issue; it will not last long,” he said.
The minister said a national anti-fraud center would be established immediately, bringing together the several law enforcement agencies, telecoms providers and Greece’s financial intelligence unit. The aim is to enable the rapid exchange of information and coordinate action against increasingly sophisticated telephone and online scams.
Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis.
Phone scams targeting elderly people – but not exclusively – have become a recurring problem in Greece, with perpetrators frequently posing as relatives, police officers, bank employees, power company technicians or other officials to persuade victims to hand over cash, valuables or banking information. Authorities have repeatedly warned that such schemes are often organized from call centers and exploit the vulnerability and trust of older victims.
Regarding street crime, Chrysochoidis said authorities were focusing particularly on chain snatchings allegedly carried out teenagers from Egypt, many of whom sneaked into Greece and then requested asylum. “Efforts are being made to arrest them and deport them,” he said, adding that arrests were being made not only over the thefts themselves but also to initiate deportation procedures.
“Anyone hosted in the country must respect the laws and the constitution,” Chrysochoidis said. “Whoever does not will leave here.”
Regarding domestic violence, the minister said authorities receive about 100 reports every day, with 20%-30% resulting in arrests. Some 13,000 arrests were made nationwide last year, he said, while more than 1,000 people are already in prison. “Every 24 hours, lives are being saved,” he added.
