From the Electronic Crime Prosecutor's Office, there has been a case of a large number of frauds against businessmen and shopkeepers from the Internet in Greek territory
Regular proceedings were filed against two (2) nationals for frauds by co-operation, by profession and by continuation
The perpetrators persuaded entrepreneurs and owners of various shops and businesses to issue prepaid online credit cards and scampered them codes, reaping large sums of money
A total of twelve (12) cases were scanned, while the total amount of fraud with the above mode of action is being investigated, as there are hundreds of incidents per case
The Electronic Crime Prosecutor's Office has detected a large number of frauds against businessmen and shopkeepers via the Internet in various areas of the Greek territory.
For this case, a regular procedure file was filed against two nationals, ages 43 and 53 years old, who are accused of fraud by conspiracy, by profession and by consequence, as well as violations of gaming legislation.
In particular, from the thorough police investigation of the Electronic Crime Prosecution Directorate, it was found that the above-mentioned perpetrators, together and for a long time (from April 2013 to August 2014), carried out a large number of frauds against businessmen and owners of various shops and businesses, as they misleaded them to issue prepaid online shopping cards and extracted their codes, thus obtaining an illegal asset Kete tens of thousands of euros.
So far, at least twelve (12) fraud cases have been detected in various regions of the country, such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion, Halkidiki and Preveza, while the total amount of illegal activity is investigated, as hundreds of incidents per case.
More specifically, in terms of the methodology used by the perpetrators (modus operandi) it emerged that they telephoned owners and entrepreneurs of various shops and businesses (haberdashery, mini-markets, kiosks, etc.) in various regions of the country and they were falsely that they have the status of a technical company that has installed machines for prepaid online trading cards in their stores.
They then asked them to issue one hundred (100) euro prepayment cards claiming they were acting to check the correct operation of the machines, asking them for their code and informing them that after the check the cards would be canceled.
In the communication that the owners of the shops with the actual management company then found they had been deceived, since the cards in question had never been canceled but were used directly in various online transactions.
From the methodical and systematic police and digital investigation of the Electronic Crime Investigation Directorate, the data and action of the parties were identified in co-operation with the competent pre-paid card management company and the providers of Internet and Telecommunication Services.
However, searches that have been carried out to locate perpetrators have not been possible in their home addresses as they have migrated to unknown addresses, which they have been doing constantly in order to avoid locating and arresting them by prosecuting authorities.
From the development of the investigation it was found that the defendants continuously applied the above methodology of action and the amounts they obtained from their fraudulent activity were using - redeeming, in illegal betting, online gambling websites or internet shopping.
In addition, the involvement of perpetrators in other similar acts is investigated in order to determine precisely the magnitude of the fraud, while also investigating their possible involvement in other related offenses.
Indeed, in the past, a criminal case file has been filed against them by the Directorate for Electronic Crime, for similar offenses.
The file that has been filed against them will be submitted to the appropriate Prosecutor's Office.
It is recalled that citizens can communicate, anonymously or branded, with the Electronic Crime Prosecutor's Office in order to provide information or to denounce illegal or scandalous acts or activities carried out through the Internet on the following contact details:
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Telephone: 111 88
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Sending an e-mail to: ccu@cybercrimeunit.gov.gr
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Through application(application) for smart phones (smartphones) with iOS – Android operating system: CYBERKID
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Via Twitter "SOS Cyber Alert Line": @cyberalertGR
