Six young people, aged 17, 19, 20 and 21, were arrested on the afternoon of 11 September at a detached house in Spata, which they had rented via a short-term rental platform and were using as a ‘call centre’ to carry out scams targeting elderly people. The case file was compiled by the Sub-Directorate for the Prosecution and Investigation of Crimes in North-East Attica, with the assistance of the OPKE, and they are charged with forming a criminal organisation, aggravated theft and fraud committed in concert, money laundering, and disobeying the police.
According to a statement by the Greek Police, the organisation is linked to at least 889 attempted thefts, whilst seven cases of theft and fraud have been solved. The illegal proceeds are estimated at over 240,000 euros. Twelve working mobile phones, three pages of a telephone directory, five wallets, one vehicle and 335 euros in cash were found and seized at the organisation’s premises and from its members.
The method was specific and repetitive. The members were divided into two groups. The first group identified elderly people from the telephone directory and called them, posing as employees of an electricity company. They told them there was a dangerous electrical fault in the house and persuaded them to gather up money, jewellery and valuables, wrap them in aluminium foil or put them in a bag, and leave them at a specific spot outside their home. Whilst the victim remained on the phone, a second team would go round and collect the items, without ever coming face to face with them. When the initial plan didn’t work, the perpetrators would switch roles and pose as police officers or relatives, whilst using dozens of pay-as-you-go mobile phones for the calls.
For Artemida and Spata, this incident has a twofold significance. Firstly, the organisation’s base was here, in a house that had been legally rented for a few days — one does not need to live in the area to use it as a base. Secondly, this is the second case of organised crime in the municipality within a few days: on 19 September, it was reported that a gang had been broken up which had been marking doors to identify empty houses and had also struck in Spata, with 23 burglaries and a haul of 179,000 euros.
What a resident needs to know in practical terms. No electricity company – neither HEDNO nor any supplier – will ring to report a ‘leak’ and will never ask anyone to remove money or jewellery from their home. No technician will ask you to leave valuables outside the door, in the garden or in your car. If you receive such a call, hang up and ring these numbers yourself: for a power cut, call HEDNO on 11500; for the police, call 100. Do not confirm any details, such as who is at home or whether you are alone.
There are two other things that help. One is to speak out about it to your own people — victims rarely speak out afterwards, out of shame, and the next time they are called upon, they find themselves defenceless. The other concerns those who rent out short-term accommodation in the area: if people who are not connected to the booking are coming and going from a property, or if there are constant calls from multiple devices, this is a reason to inform the police.
Source: Hellenic Police, press release regarding the arrest of six members of a criminal organisation in Spata, September 2026.
