They declared zero income to the tax authorities, some even appeared as… tent dwellers, but at the same time they allegedly made over 3.4 million euros by deceiving elderly people with the fake electricity company trick. These are just some of the new details emerging regarding the new criminal gang that was dismantled by the Economic Crime Unit of the Hellenic Police, showing that the situation remains out of control and that public awareness is necessary in any case in the face of ever-increasing fraud.
How the gang dismantled by the Greek FBI operated
As happens in these cases, the gang that was dismantled by the Greek FBI, after a coordinated operation in Western Attica in mid-week, according to the Hellenic Police, would call elderly people and tell them there was an electrical leak in their home and a fire hazard. They would panic the victims and then convince them to collect money and jewelry in aluminum foil or bowls and leave them next to the door or even outside the house. A few minutes later, other members of the organization would pass by and grab the valuables.
Police speak of a fully organized gang with “call centers,” groups that carried out the thefts, and dozens of phone connections that had been issued using details of non-existent foreigners.
What is striking is that while the members appeared unemployed and with zero income in recent years, their financial and living standards –according to the Hellenic Police– showed a completely different picture.
So far, 117 cases of fraud and robbery have been solved, while seven people were arrested in the police operation and another twenty were identified.
In the searches, mobile phones, SIM cards, jewelry, watches, cars and motorcycles used in their operations were found, as well as a delivery bag, which is being examined to see if they used it to avoid drawing attention.
Detailed announcement from the Hellenic Police
A criminal organization was dismantled by the Organized Crime Unit, whose members, pretending to be electricity company employees, committed fraud and robberies.
To terminate their activities, a police operation was carried out on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in the wider area of Western Attica, by the Economic Crime Unit with the assistance of operational teams from the Organized Crime Unit, during which -7- members of the criminal organization were arrested, while another -20- people with supporting roles were identified.
Criminal charges were filed against them for criminal organization committing fraud and robberies, completed and attempted by co-perpetration and continuation with property benefit exceeding 120,000 euros and money laundering from criminal activity.
As emerged from the police investigation, the defendants had formed a structured criminal organization with ongoing activity and distinct roles since at least July 2025.
To achieve their goal, they had divided into telephone approach teams, which operated from various locations – call centers, and field operational teams, which were tasked with going to the victim’s home and committing the theft.
Specifically, the leading members would initiate phone contact with citizens, who were mainly elderly people. Initially, they would introduce themselves as electricity company employees, mislead them by claiming an electrical leak in their home, and then exploiting their fear, present that the leak problem could be solved either remotely or with a visit from supposed technical employees.
In this way, they managed to convince them to collect jewelry, valuables and cash in aluminum foil or a bowl and then place them at points in their home near the main door, or outside it, or at points outside the home that they indicated over the phone.
Subsequently, the operational members of the organization would take over the theft of the victim’s valuables, while storing them temporarily in a house they guarded.
Also, to achieve their goal, they used numerous phone connections that had been issued using details of non-existent foreign nationals from third countries (straw men).
In detail, from the searches carried out, the following were found and confiscated:
• -3- gold crosses, -3- rings, -3- watches, silver chain,
• -2,580- euros, bank card,
• -23- mobile phones,
• -6- SIM cards and their packages,
• Laptop and -2- memory cards, recorder,
• motorcycle helmet, motorcycle luggage box and delivery-type bag,
• -12- keys of unidentified vehicles,
• quantity of narcotic substance (raw cannabis), total weight -0.30- grams,
• -3- cars and 2 motorcycles, which were means of transport for committing the criminal activity of the organization
From the investigation so far, -117- cases of fraud have been solved, with the illegal property benefit obtained by members of the criminal organization exceeding -3,400,000- euros.
It should be noted that from the financial investigation, it emerged that the members of the criminal organization were unemployed and those who filed tax returns appeared as tent dwellers. At the same time, they only dealt in cash and sought to legitimize their income through acquiring, possessing and using property, while in the last -2- years they filed tax returns with zero income, which contrasts with their lifestyle and financial profile.
Those arrested were brought before the competent prosecutorial authority, while investigations continue to determine their involvement in any other similar criminal acts.
