A well-known Cretan businessman fell victim to wily scammers and saw his company’s account stripped bare – within seconds!
The impressive thing is that although he himself almost immediately realized that a scam was being set up, he did not manage to save the money, also because of the inaction shown by the bank despite contacting them immediately!
It was all done in a matter of minutes.
The alleged phone call from the district
The Cretan businessman based in Heraklion, according to information from cretalive.gr, received a phone call from an “employee of the region of Crete” who mentioned his name and particulars in order, he said, to deisburse an invoice owed by the region to him, an amount of around 700 euros for an event that had taken place at his place.
This particular scammer was not just convincing, but absolutely clear, as he mentioned the invoice details, the dates and even the name of the supervisor who signed the payment document!
“Everything was clear and unambiguous. There was nothing objectionable. They phoned me knowing all the facts,” the businessman told cretalive. At the same time he received an email as they told him about the acceptance of the payment – disbursement from the district. That was the mistake. As soon as he clicked on the link he actually entered and provided the information, but at almost immediately he had misgivings that something was wrong.
“Things developed very quickly, but I suspected something,” says the businessman who, while talking to the fraudster on one line, using another he called the bank and asked for the account to be checked.
“Your account is blocked” they told him and when he asked for it to be unblocked and for no transaction to be made from the bank they asked for… a specific document.
In the conversation above, which didn’t last more than a few seconds, they found that more than 10,000 euros had already left the account!
They snaped up the data of the invoice from “Diavegia.gr” government site
“I was misled by the information given to me by the fraudsters and I was convinced at first, but when I understood what happened and phoned the bank there was no immediate reaction” said the businessman who later realized that the document-invoice was uploaded to “Diavegia” and from there they got all the details! A well organized and…intelligent crime!
The businessman made the right moves, going to the Police to register the crime, to the banks, but he appeals to everyone not to be led astray by a phone call, or a malicious email!
“Unfortunately, I stumbled into the trap, so that others don’t fall for it. We must not trust a phone call no matter where it supposedly comes from, do not open emails, always be suspicious,” he said.
Latest News
Greek Property Renovation Surge amid Economic Constraints
This has led to a notable escalation in renovation costs, with average prices per square meter exceeding previous norms and reaching even 1,000 euros in premium locations
RRF: Additional €5.1bln Funds for Subsidies to Greece in 2025
By April 22, funds totaling 5.75 billion euros had been transferred for approved projects of the Recovery Fund to entities within and outside the general government and final recipients
OECD: Greek Economy Resilient with 2% Growth Forecast for 2024
However, the OECD highlights challenges including the need to enhance productivity and fiscal adjustment due to high debt levels.
Challenges and Delays in Greece’s Hydrocarbon Exploration
Sources disclose that the petroleum companies holding the concessions are seeking partners to jointly invest and share the costs of exploration and drilling.
Greek Beach Visitors Can Report Violations on New ‘MyCoast’ App
Greek authorities hope the newly-launched, free ‘MyCoast’ app will help clamp down on public beach violations
BoG Figures Confirm Banner Year for Greek Tourism in 2023
20.6 billion euros in related revenues topped the previous year’s figure by 16.5%
Piraeus Bank to Propose First Dividend in 16 Years
Piraeus Bank has forecast profits of roughly 900 million euros this year, rising to one billion euros next year
Eurostat: Inflation in Greece Eases to 3.2% in April; 2.4% in Eurozone
The rate of increase for food prices was up by 4.9% in April 2024, compared to 4.8% in the previous month
ELSTAT Feb. Retail Turnover Drops by 3.8%, Sales Volume Plummets by 9.8%
Additionally, the seasonally adjusted General Volume Index for Feb. 2024 experienced a 3.8% decrease compared to the previous month of the same year
Greek Buyers Lead Return to Vacation Home Market
In the last six months, Greeks have made a surge into the vacation home market, notably without relying on loans