A fraud ring with fictitious physical therapies at the expense of EOPYY has been dismantled in Piraeus, following a month-long investigation by the Sub-Directorate of the Financial Crimes Investigation Department.

The police operation took place on May 13 in areas of Piraeus and led to the arrest of three people, including the alleged “brain” of the organization. The case file includes another EOPYY employee, who was not arrested.

According to authorities, the case involves:

  • a 31-year-old physical therapist,
  • two orthopedic doctors aged 49 and 51,
  • and a 64-year-old EOPY employee.

A case has been filed against them for a number of offences, including gang membership, fraud against the State, forgery, false statements, unlawful use of personal data, bribery and breach of official secrecy.

How the circuit operated

The investigation revealed that by May 2021, the group allegedly organised a mechanism to illegally collect compensation from EOPYY through virtual physiotherapy sessions.

The physiotherapist, who coordinated the activities of the scheme, allegedly played a central role.

The two doctors are accused of issuing false opinions and physiotherapy referrals using insured persons’ details, without themselves knowing that their personal data was being used illegally.

Then, through a physiotherapy centre, fictitious sessions were declared in order to issue vouchers and pay compensation from EOPYY.

The damage to EOPYY

According to the information in the case file:

  • 1,961 bogus referrals were issued,
  • 19,610 physical therapy sessions were issued,
  • 1,683 different AMAs of insured persons were used.

    • .

The total loss for EOPYY is estimated at more than €264,000.

At the same time, the authorities found that non-existent telephone numbers had been declared in more than 1,600 opinions, making it difficult to check and communicate with the insured.

The role of an EOPYY employee

The 64-year-old EOPYY employee, who allegedly passed on internal documents from the preliminary investigation to members of the scheme, receiving monetary rewards, is also under the microscope.

The authorities are investigating whether complaints were delayed or filed through this practice.

During the investigations, the following were seized:

  • €8,990 in cash,
  • mobile phones,
  • tablet,
  • and handwritten notes, which are being examined by forensic laboratories.

    • .

“He used to file 500 referrals a month”

The president of the Panhellenic Association of Physiotherapists, Petros Lymperidis, said the main accused was allegedly depositing as many as 500 physiotherapy referrals a month for reimbursement from EOPYY.

As he said, a system of confirmation through OTP is currently in place, but there is also a cap on the number of referrals each physiotherapist can perform.

According to him, the limit has been set at 40 referrals per month, with an additional option for those employing full-time staff.