Telephone scams are becoming a serious problem in Greece, where organized criminal groups are suspected of setting up call centers to defraud citizens, mainly the elderly. According to Greek authorities, the activity of these networks has now extended beyond the country's borders, including Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria.
The Greek Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, described the phenomenon as an "epidemic", while announcing that work is underway to create a permanent operational structure to combat these groups.
"Telephone scams are an epidemic in our country. The scammers are mainly Roma," Chrysochoidis declared during an interview with Mega television.
According to him, criminal groups have found in telephone scams a way to take citizens' assets and savings.
"These people have turned to criminality and gradually to this type of crime, which is terrible, in the sense that they very easily take people's property. This is tragic and dramatic," the minister said.
Call centers in Albania, Skopje and Sofia
One of the main concerns of the Greek authorities is the international reach of these networks. According to Chrysochoidis, the groups do not only operate within Greek territory, but have also set up structures in other countries in the region.
"There is a call center in Albania, for example, there is a call center in Skopje, in Sofia," he stated.
The minister described them as genuine transnational groups, which cooperate among themselves to carry out fraud.
Chrysochoidis stressed that the problem is not just Greek, but has taken on European dimensions. He announced that major investigations and operations have been carried out, which have led to the arrest and imprisonment of a number of people, but the networks continue to regenerate and multiply.
Their activity, according to the minister, is not limited to fraudulent phone calls. The groups are also suspected of being involved in electronic fraud, where the amounts of money illegally obtained can be much larger.
Chrysochoidis also referred to the operations and arrests carried out by Greek investigative structures and the Attica Security, emphasizing the need for a permanent and organized mechanism against the phenomenon.
The Greek minister appeared categorical about continuing the fight against these criminal networks.
"Be sure of this: We will arrest them all. We just need a permanent structure and a permanent operational policy to put an end to this," Chrysochoidis declared.
