An attempted scam against a 44-year-old police officer was prevented in Pella, northern Greece, after fraudsters tried to deceive him using a common “accountant” impersonation method.

The suspects contacted the officer pretending that they needed to record his money and valuables in order to help him avoid a supposed fine. However, the officer immediately suspected the scheme and informed his colleagues, unaware that the scammers did not know his profession.

Shortly afterwards, a 39-year-old man was arrested while allegedly arriving to collect the fake “payment” from the victim.

According to police, the man’s female accomplice, who is still being sought, had called the officer while pretending to be his accountant. She reportedly asked him to gather cash and valuables so they could be documented to avoid a non-existent penalty.

Suspect attempted to flee during arrest

The 39-year-old was arrested by officers from the Pella Department for the Prosecution and Investigation of Crimes. During the arrest, he attempted to escape on foot and resisted by pushing police officers.

The investigation reportedly showed that the same man, together with an unidentified female accomplice, had carried out another scam the previous week in Kilkis using the same method.

In that case, a 79-year-old woman was allegedly deceived and lost €8,000.

Stolen motorcycle and outstanding convictions

Police also found that the 39-year-old was using a stolen motorcycle from an area of Attica, Greece, with a fake license plate.

Authorities further determined that four previous court decisions were pending against him, involving total sentences of 10 years in prison, 19 months of imprisonment, and a €51,500 fine.