The investigation of seven cases of telephone fraud, which were performed at the expense of unsuspecting citizens, especially elderly people in the period from 30/3 to 12/4 in the regions Kastoria, Kilkis and Florinahis police officers succeeded Florina Security Department. For the case, a 66-year-old foreigner was arrested in Florina, who had the role of debt collector”, while they are looking to identify the details of a man and a woman, who appear to have been her accomplices.

As stated in a relevant announcement by the Police, the aforementioned presented false events as true, with the aim of extorting large sums of money and valuables from the victims, under the pretext of “emergency surgery of a relative”. Against the arrested and the wanted persons, a case file was filed for the offenses of fraud and criminal organization, while it is emphasized that out of the total of seven cases of telephone fraud, two were committed and the others were attempted.

Specifically, yesterday morning an unknown man, either alone or together with an unknown woman, called five unsuspecting citizens in the wider area of ​​Florina and, pretending to be the doctor or their relative (their son) -as the case may be-, the and their female relative (daughter), falsely reported to them that their relative had suffered a serious injury and was in immediate need of surgery, for which a sum of money and valuables were required.

The citizens, perceiving the attempted fraud against them, did not respond to their demands and informed the police authorities. A police operation was immediately organized, during which officers from the Florina Security Department located and arrested the 66-year-old woman in the city of Florina.

During the preliminary investigation, it was established that the aforementioned, in an identical manner, managed to defraud an 82-year-old resident in the city of Kastoria on 30/3 at noon, from which they took the sum of -10,000- euros, and on 11/4 at noon an 84-year-old resident in the city of Kilkis, from which they extracted the sum of -7,750- euros.

In total, the amount of -7,750- euros, a mobile phone and a sim card, two diaries and four KTEL tickets were confiscated. The seized amount of money was verified as belonging to the 84-year-old from the case of the city of Kilkis, to which it will be attributed.

The Florina Security Department continues its investigations into the identification of the two unknown persons-accomplices, while their participation in other similar criminal acts is being examined, as well as the identification of any other victims.

On the occasion of the above incidents, the General Regional Police Directorate of Western Macedonia recalls some useful tips to avoid similar incidents of fraud:

*Be especially wary when strangers ask you for money, for an alleged emergency of your relative/friend, such as hospitalization or for an alleged car accident caused by your relative, which resulted in the death or serious injury of a minor, usually a child . They may try the same over the phone.

*It should be noted that in traffic accidents, the legal and prescribed actions are always followed by the Police Authorities, under the guidance of the local Prosecuting Authorities and in no case are they deviated from them, by paying sums of money.

*In cases where strangers invoke an emergency of a known relative, always seek to contact your known relative by phone to confirm what they invoke.

*Communication should be done immediately, with your own phone and following your own initiative and do not accept to speak with a person who was called by strangers or given to you by the perpetrators to speak to.

*Do not under any circumstances accept unknown persons to lead you to a Credit Shop or ATM to withdraw a sum of money.

*Always have available the phone numbers you need to contact in case of emergency (Police, Fire Department, Hospitals, close relatives, etc.).

*Always inform the Police Authorities, even in the event of an attempted fraud against you.