It was dismantled by the Athens Security Sub-Directorate of the Directorate of Prosecution and Investigation of Crimes of Attica, a criminal organization made up of -37- members. Already, a case file has been filed against them, among other things – as the case may be – for directing and forming a criminal organization, by profession and by extension frauds and frauds by calculation.
Among the members of the organization are both leaders who defined the identity of the organization and determined the methodology, having full control over the action of the rest of the members.
The organization, infrastructure, preparation, coordination, planning, methodicality of their actions, the general behavior of the members and their strictly defined and distinct roles, are representative of the professionalism of the criminal organization in question, since they used techniques and methods applied by very well organized criminal groups.
Their modus operandi
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The organization’s methodology was based on different ways of acting each time and by presenting false facts as true, but also by making use of false identity information, they succeeded in deceiving citizens. Specifically, they mainly used the following tricks:
Methodology 1st
It involved the posting on online platforms of virtual advertisements, relating to the sale of cars and agricultural machinery, at a very low and tempting price, in order to attract the interest of a large number of prospective buyers, asking for an advance payment from interested buyers in order to come to an agreement.
Methodology 2nd
It concerned telephone calls by the members of the organization, pretending to be employees of public bodies to citizens under the pretext that they are beneficiaries of either a government subsidy or a refund. Under the pretext of receiving the amount of money immediately, the prospective victims were guided by the members of the organization in actions to extort their amounts of money.
Methodology 3rd
It involved telephone calls by the members of the organization, pretending to be employees of the cooperating accounting office of the prospective victims, who were owners or employees of kiosks and mini-markets and under the pretext of having to upgrade the cash register system, persuaded the latter to issue prepaid cards and to announce to the members of the organization their code.
When an amount of money is deposited by sufferers, it is absorbed from the original account of a member of the organization immediately, either by transferring to another bank account via e-banking and the immediate withdrawal of the amount, or similarly to another bank account via e-banking and then the proceeds from their criminal activity are transferred directly to other bank accounts. They also several times made direct purchases through online bank accounts, “cashing out” the money for products of value for possible resale.
Finding and then recruiting bank account beneficiaries was done by both senior and junior members of the organization, who were looking for people in financial need (drug users, gambling addicts, beggars, etc.), who provided their bank details (money mules), since they rely on money bank transfers through these accounts, which are recorded and traceable after lifting bank secrecy. These individuals, receiving from -300- to -500- euros from the organization, handed over bank data, cards and the telephone connection identified in their bank – mobile phone device on which they received the one-time codes (OTPs) to the members of the organization.
They were then instructed to falsely report that they had been stolen, after the fraud was completed and the money was withdrawn.
The areas where the organization operated
The organization acted like a well-organized business with huge profits, part of which was legitimized with all kinds of purchases, such as high-horsepower vehicles, housing construction, multiple purchases, etc. and with a constant pursuit of the acquisition of illegal material benefit, while at the same time the autonomy of the organization was not affected by the physical status of its members.
Although the above course of action was designed to leave no traces, the ongoing action of the organization was focused on absorbing the money immediately, in order not to lose it in case the original account was blocked by the bank.
From the entirety of the preliminary investigation, the continuous action of the organization from the beginning of October of the year 2022 without territorial limitation throughout the Greek territory was ascertained. The organization had as its “centers” the area of settlements of Zevgolatio and Hexamilia Corinthia and also Argos Argolidos, where they had set up their headquarters – telephone centers.
A key role in the operation of the organization was played by the operational centers consisting of the enlisted members who were in charge of withdrawing cash from the automatic transaction machines (ATMs), taking protective measures (masks, hoods).
Salamina was the operational center of Zeugolatios and the Six Miles of Corinth, due to its geographical specificity and the large recruitment of members achieved by the organization.
Accordingly, Amaliada and Gastouni Ilias formed the operational center of Argos for the same reasons.
How they were erasing their tracks
Part of the money received from the ATMs was used to pay the recruits, while the bulk of the money ended up, either by hand delivery or through money transfer companies, to the directors of the organization.
In order to serve and achieve their criminal aims, they were provided with a multitude of “ghost phones” telephone connections and telephone devices, which often corresponded to telephone connections with consecutive dialing numbers and were mostly named after third parties, specifically foreigners.
In addition, some of its members trafficked in narcotics, an activity beneficial to the wider operation of the organization, as they had contacts with users from whom in many cases they recruited their bank details.
In the context of the large-scale operation that took place in the morning hours of 26-11-2024, and led to the arrest of -25- members, a number of bank cards, bank books, electronic devices and telephone connections, weapons, flare gun, tazer, number of vehicles, amount of money and quantities of drugs.
The arrested members were taken to the Athens District Attorney.
The business of ELAS
#ring #defrauding #citizens #ghost #cars #dismantled
## Cracking Down on a Sophisticated Criminal Ring: An Interview with a Leading Cybercrime Investigator
**World Today News** sits down with **Detective Inspector Maria Stavrou**, a leading cybercrime investigator with the Athens Security Sub-Directorate, to delve into the recent dismantling of a sophisticated criminal institution operating across Greece.
**World Today News:** Detective Inspector Stavrou, congratulations on dismantling this extensive criminal organization. To our readers, can you shed light on the nature of this group adn the extent of thier operation?
**Detective Inspector Stavrou:** Thank you. This was a complex and multifaceted examination. We’re talking about 37 individuals, a tightly knit network with clearly defined roles and a sophisticated approach. They operated like a legitimate business, generating substantial profits through various fraudulent schemes targeted at unsuspecting citizens.
**World Today News:** You mentioned various schemes. Can you elaborate on their methods?
**Detective Inspector Stavrou:** They employed three main tactics.
* **Online Scams:** They posted enticing deals for vehicles and machinery at unrealistically low prices on popular platforms.To secure payments,they demanded advance sums from interested buyers,who never received the promised goods.
* **Impersonation Scams:** They impersonated government officials over the phone, informing victims they were eligible for grants or refunds and guiding them through steps to “claim” the money, which ultimately resulted in the victims transferring funds to the criminals.
* **Point-of-Sale Scams:** They targeted kiosk and mini-market owners,posing as representatives from their accounting firms. They would convince the victims to buy prepaid cards and reveal their security codes, which were then used to siphon funds.
**World Today News:** This sounds incredibly elaborate. How did they manage to move the stolen money without raising red flags?
**Detective Inspector Stavrou:** This is where their cunning arises. They utilized “money mules” – individuals often in financially precarious situations who were recruited to provide their bank accounts in exchange for a small fee. They would then transfer the stolen funds through thes accounts,blurring the trail and making it harder to trace.
**World Today News:** What were some of the biggest challenges your team faced in bringing down this organization?
**Detective Inspector Stavrou:** This group was highly organized, technologically savvy, and adept at constantly adapting their tactics.They used sophisticated methods to obfuscate their online presence and communications. It required meticulous investigation, international cooperation, and tracking down multiple layers of financial transactions.
**World Today News:** What message does this operation send to both potential victims and other criminal organizations?
**Detective Inspector Stavrou:** To potential victims, I urge you to remain vigilant. Don’t trust unsolicited offers that seem too good to be true, verify the identity of callers claiming to be from official bodies, and never share sensitive financial data over the phone.
To other criminal organizations: Law enforcement agencies are constantly evolving their techniques and will relentlessly pursue those who prey on innocent citizens.
**World Today News:** Thank you for sharing your insights, Detective Inspector Stavrou.This case highlights the growing sophistication of cybercrime and the importance of continued vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the public.
