Greek police have dismantled three related criminal groups accused of defrauding elderly residents in Athens, Thessaloniki and Agrinio out of more than €410,000 by posing as employees of the country's electricity distribution operator, DEDDIE, authorities announced.
Four suspects were arrested during an operation in the Athens area, while 18 additional alleged members of the network were identified.
Police said the groups had been active since September 2025, contacting elderly victims by phone and falsely warning them of an imminent explosion caused by a supposed electrical fault in their homes.
According to investigators, suspects impersonated DEDDIE employees and used video calls displaying the company's official logo to lend credibility to their claims.
Victims, alarmed by the purported danger, were then pressured into handing over cash and valuables.
Police said suspects either collected the items directly from victims or instructed them to leave the valuables outside their homes for pickup.
Searches conducted during the investigation uncovered mobile phones, SIM cards, laptops and storage devices allegedly used to coordinate the scheme.
The case adds to a pattern of fraud targeting elderly residents in Greece through impersonation schemes involving utility companies, banks and public authorities, prompting repeated warnings from police urging citizens to verify the identity of anyone claiming to represent a utility or government agency before providing money, personal information or access to their homes.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to identify and locate the remaining suspects.