The 22-year-old man who was arrested accused of fraud against a 76-year-old woman whom he persuaded under the guise of an accountant to… dig up 100,000 euros hidden in the yard of her house in the village of Lagada, Thessaloniki,
The Thessaloniki Trial Court, before which he was tried under the spontaneous procedure, found him guilty of high value fraud – together with a wanted accomplice. He was given a 4-year prison sentence, which was decided to be suspended as the appeal did not suspend its execution.
In his plea, he denied any involvement in the case, but failed to convince the judges.
It all happened last Wednesday afternoon when, according to the case file, an unknown man called the 76-year-old woman on the phone, pretending to be an assistant accountant and claiming that the elderly woman allegedly owed 1,800 euros. During the phone call, which lasted more than an hour, the stranger allegedly asked her if she had hidden money or jewellery in the house ahead of an alleged audit by the tax office.
Surprisingly, she apparently revealed that she had her savings buried in the backyard of her home. He then asked the retired woman to go to the yard, dig up the money and display it in order to be recorded by a drone allegedly flying over the area, the victim testified.
Directing her back to the house, the communication between them was completed, and it appears that the criminals took advantage of this interim period to get their loot, which, according to the case file, amounted to 100,000 euros. The police investigation seems to have revealed that the perpetrators used a vehicle to escape.
When the victim came out after some time in the yard she saw the money was missing. She attempted to call back to the number from which she had received the call but the device was switched off. Realising that she had been a victim of fraud she approached the authorities and reported the incident.
