www.ethnos.gr
Attica police has busted a group, specialised in emptying bank accounts of deceased pensioners by using false documents. Six were arrested and as many are still wanted. The arrests were made in Moschato, Athens, Ampelokipoi, Corinthos, Kalamata. All detained are Greek nationals, aged 41-57. Those still at large are reportedly aged 36-57, among them is a 49-year-old man, believed to be the group's leader.
Those arrested were indicted for the creation of a criminal organisation, fraud, falsifying documents, violation of personal data provisions and money-laundering.
As the investigation has made clear, since September 2014 the gang members had forged ID cards, letters of attorney, accounts of organisations and other documents of deceased persons who held bank accounts with large sums in them. The criminals withdrew cash from the banks by using the false documents.
The fraudsters gathered advance personal information on pensioners from funeral homes, municipal archives or banks.
It has been found that on 3 and 8 October 2014 one of the arrested, a 56-year-old man, accompanied by a 57-year-old accomplice, who is still wanted, went to a bank branch in Halkida. After showing a forged ID of a Greek citizen who had died in July, and a false account of a government organisation, he managed to withdraw €250,000 from the account of the deceased man.
Another one of the arrested, a 39-year-old man, together with a 45-year-old, who is still at large, waited for them in front of the bank. The rest of the gang members managed to siphon off €30,000.
The investigation found that a 49-year-old was on top of the gang. The man had led another criminal group involved in similar business, the members of which were detained on 7 October 2014.
The arrested gang members will appear before a first-instance court in Athens.