Gold pounds, jewelry and cash, the value of which exceeds 140.000 euros, have been obtained in the last ten days by thieves in regions of Central Macedonia, mainly by deceiving elderly people using the “accountant” method.
Police officers of the Katerini Crime Investigation and Detection Sub-Division put an end to their alleged activities by arresting four people as members of a criminal group, including two women, aged 31 and 34, a 36-year-old and a 16-year-old.
According to police, an accomplice was calling the would-be victims, pretending to be an accountant and claiming that jewelry and valuables in the house needed to be photographed by an associate in preparation for filing the annual tax return.
The action attributed to them was revealed last 24 hours when one of the women involved tried to remove money and jewellery from a 66-year-old woman in Katerini, but was arrested in the act. The other members of the group were found waiting for her in a vehicle and were arrested immediately, while the car was seized. The preliminary investigation revealed that on the same day they had attempted to defraud a 93-year-old man in the same area.
The police investigation revealed that between 31 March and 6 April they had committed four more telephone scams in Halkidiki, Pieria and Thessaloniki. In total, they managed to extort gold pounds and jewellery worth €133,000 and the sum of €9,500. In their possession were found and seized mobile phones, a small amount of money, as well as items of disguise, such as wigs, masks and scarves.
In addition, the 36-year-old arrested man was found to have a pending conviction for robbery, with a 7-year sentence.
Police investigations are continuing both for the identification of their accomplices and for their possible involvement in other similar criminal acts.
The arrested men were taken to the Prosecutor of the Katerini District Court.
