Two people have been arrested in central Athens for defrauding elderly women out of more than €21,000 euros through a common but efficient phone scam, authorities said Thursday.
A police statement said the suspects allegedly called the two women, who live in the western town of Arta, claimed to work for an electricity company and said their homes had a severe wiring fault. They then talked their victims into leaving all cash and valuables they had at home outdoors, supposedly to address the threat of electrocution.
Police said the suspects were thus able to walk off with cash and jewellery worth a total €21,400.
They were arrested Tuesday.
Despite repeated public awareness campaigns, hundreds of elderly or vulnerable people still fall for scams using the power fault line or other similar concocted stories.