As a result of a police operation in Glyfada and Agia Varvara, a gang was liquidated, whose members systematically committed fraudulent activities by posting ads on the Internet.
Members of the gang systematically posted advertisements on the Internet for the sale of electronic devices, the criminal group was liquidated by the Security Office of Southeast Attica.
Four members of the criminal organization, three men aged 22, 20 and 19, and a 26-year-old woman were arrested at noon on 22-11-2021 as part of an organized operation in the metropolitan areas of Glyfada and Agia Varvara. Another gang member has been identified and is wanted. All of them were prosecuted under the articles: fraud as part of an organized criminal group, forgery, robbery, violation of the Unfair Competition Law, processing of personal data, violation of consumer protection law, drugs and weapons.
According to the investigation, the indicated defendants, at least since June 2021, have created a criminal group and joined it, committing fraud and counterfeiting by posting advertisements for the sale of electronic devices on the Internet. To do this, the gang members posted advertisements on the Internet platform of a well-known social network for the sale of specific electronic devices in high demand among consumers (mainly mobile phones and game consoles) at lower prices than in the market in order to attract the attention of potential buyers.
Advertisements with photographs of the products proposed for sale have been posted on various virtual profiles they have created on social media for this purpose. Potential buyers who were interested in these products communicated through the well-known messaging app to keep up to date with product specifications, prices and delivery methods.
In their interactions with shoppers, the gang members provided quality assurance for the merchandise they were selling, such as sending videos of genuine devices and fake receipts from branded electronics stores to convince shoppers that it was a safe purchase. The delivery of the electronic device was always carried out to the point determined by the victims, while the gang member posed as an employee of the transport company, and payment was made by cash on delivery (cash).
In fact, the gang members, to shape the image of reliable sellers, passed them packaging and a fake purchase document from well-known electronics companies, and also sent photocopies of genuine IDs, which they claimed to be their own, but in reality they belonged to others who were not related. to the criminal activities of the gang.
The gang members drove up to the appointments in their cars. Water bottles were placed in the sealed package to create an imitation of the product. Immediately after receiving the money, the gang members deactivated their profiles, as well as the mobile phone numbers they were using.
To further minimize the likelihood of their arrest as they arrived at the point of delivery, they alerted victims by telephone with a short delay to detect any police presence at the scene.
When shoppers realized the fraud against them and were not ready to complete their purchase, in one case gang members committed theft and in the second they hit the shopper with a car during their escape, injuring him.
During a search of the houses of the accused, with the assistance of OPKE police officers, a number of leaders were found and confiscated SIM cards, mobile phones, mobile phone cases and boxes, a replica of a pistol and a small amount of cannabis.
All members of the gang in the past have already been brought to the police for similar crimes.
The arrested were taken to the Athens Prosecutor’s Office.
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