File photo.
A man who talked a woman in central Greece into leaving €50,000 in cash outside her door and then took off with the money has been identified and charged, authorities said Tuesday.
A police statement said the 23-year-old suspect was one of at least two people who pulled a common but highly efficient scam on the woman in the town of Volos. The scammers allegedly phoned her on Thursday, pretending to work for a power company, and warned her she had an electricity leak at home.
To avoid the supposed risk of electrocution, she was urged to place any money and valuables she might have at home outdoors. The woman complied, leaving a bag with €50,000, a gold sovereign and jewellery for the scammers to pick up.
Such scams typically target elderly or otherwise vulnerable people, and remain highly remunerative – and relatively low-risk – for fraudsters despite repeated police public awareness campaigns.
