Massive Telephone Scam Uncovered Across Europe

The news in Greek

1. ανακαλύπτω
   βρίσκω κάτι που ήταν κρυμμένο ή άγνωστο ↩︎
2. απάτη  (f.)
   εσκεμμένη ενέργεια για να εξαπατηθεί κάποιος ↩︎
3. περιοχή  (f.)
   συγκεκριμένο μέρος σε μια περιοχή ή πόλη ↩︎
4. πειθώ
   κατορθώνω να αλλάξω τη γνώμη κάποιου ↩︎
5. συνεχίζομαι
   συμβαίνει για μεγαλύτερο χρονικό διάστημα χωρίς να σταματάει ↩︎
6. συνεργασία  (f.)
   δουλειά που γίνεται από κοινού με άλλους ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What did the scammers pretend to be in order to trick people?

Question 2: How much money did the scammers steal?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
ανακαλύπτω	discover
απάτη  (f.)	fraud
περιοχή  (f.)	area
πειθώ	convince
συνεχίζομαι	continue
συνεργασία  (f.)	collaboration

Read the full story

In a significant crackdown across Europe, law enforcement agencies are unravelling a vast criminal network responsible for telephone scams that have amassed over €8 million over the past decade. Operations are underway in several countries, including Greece, following a European investigation order from German prosecutorial authorities.

According to German media reports, charges have been brought against more than 170 individuals allegedly involved in the organisation. The investigation, led by the Saxony Prosecutor’s Office based in Dresden, highlights at least 30,000 instances of fraud. The victims, primarily elderly individuals, are located both within Germany and across Europe.

The perpetrators masqueraded as police officers and bank employees, contacting unsuspecting victims from a coordinated call centre. They tricked victims into paying non-existent debts using counterfeit court documents and notices. Additionally, the fraudsters tempted their targets with false invitations to participate in supposed lotteries and games of chance.

The operations, targeting suspects and locations in Greece, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, include raids on residences and business premises. In Greece, focused actions were conducted by the Northern Greece Organised Crime Division, where officers executed searches in Thessaloniki, Imathia, and Thrace.

Thus far, two Greek nationals, aged 25 and 43, have been apprehended in Komotini, Greece. They are subject to European arrest warrants issued by German authorities and are scheduled to appear before the Komotini Court of Appeals for extradition proceedings to Germany.

The investigation underscores the operational sophistication of the network, which implemented structured and technologically supported methods. This approach facilitated extensive victimisation and resulted in substantial financial losses.

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