Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis has announced a stricter legal framework to classify organized phone fraud targeting elderly people as a felony.
Speaking about the issue, Chrysochoidis described phone scams as a growing problem that has reached the dimensions of an epidemic across the country.
Under ongoing consultations between the Ministry of Citizen Protection and the Ministry of Justice, proposed amendments to the Penal Code will reclassify fraud carried out by criminal syndicates into felony offenses. Chrysochoidis said the law must impose particularly severe punishment on those who trick elderly individuals and strip them of their property.
Specialized unit within the Greek FBI
Alongside statutory toughening, Greek authorities are establishing a specialized operational unit inside the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, a division commonly referred to as the Greek FBI. The new unit will focus exclusively on investigating telephone fraud and organized deception schemes.
The unit will be staffed by specialized police officers tasked with mapping and dismantling criminal networks. These groups frequently operate dedicated call centers, assume false identities, and deploy elaborate tricks to extract cash and valuable items from citizens.
Chrysochoidis emphasized that organized telephone fraud is a pan-European problem. He noted that international networks have developed highly lucrative methods capable of extracting substantial fortunes while keeping their own operational costs relatively low.
Impersonation tactics and major cases
One of the most frequent tactics used by these networks involves impostors pretending to be employees of DEDDHE, Greece's Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator, as well as tax officials or accountants. Scammers call victims, primarily elderly residents, citing fictitious power leaks, short circuit hazards, tax debts, or the urgent need to protect cash and jewelry.
Once victims are deceived into believing their assets are at risk, callers convince them to hand over money or valuables to accomplices arriving at their homes.
The scale of the criminal network in Greece was demonstrated in recent police operations. In July, law enforcement dismantled a syndicate in the Attica region linked to 44 burglaries and 14 frauds that yielded more than 440,000 euros in illegal gains.
In a separate investigation in Zefyri, a town in western Attica, police uncovered an organized gang call center where operators posed as DEDDHE workers and accountants. Authorities estimated the total loot from that single operation at more than 1.6 million euros.
Banking cooperation and emergency alerts
To counter the criminal networks, Greek officials have opened talks with commercial banks, DEDDHE, and other relevant state agencies. Criminal groups regularly exploit banking channels or misuse the names of established utility providers and public institutions to gain the confidence of targets.
DEDDHE has issued repeated public warnings clarifying that its personnel never call customers to request money, jewelry, or valuables, nor do they instruct residents to place financial assets outside their homes.
Chrysochoidis was also questioned about using Greece's 112 emergency alert system to broadcast local warning messages whenever phone fraud spikes in a specific area. The minister expressed caution regarding the proposal, warning that emergency broadcasts could cause widespread alarm across entire neighborhoods or towns over an isolated incident.
The government plan will move forward on two main fronts: introducing harsher penal sentences for organized deception syndicates and establishing a permanent specialized mechanism within the Hellenic Police to track and dismantle fraud rings.
