Police on Sunday said they were investigating the claims of a 24-year-old man that he was robbed by a person who had promised to multiply his money with the use of chemicals.

According to the police, the 24-year-old reported that he met with a man he had met online and who had promised to multiply the money he had, €53,000, into €150,000 with the use of chemicals but took the money and disappeared, instead.

The meeting took place in a hotel room in Larnaca at around 8 pm on Saturday. The 24-year-old arrived there with his money but while he was talking with the other man, he fainted after inhaling a substance.

When he woke up, the other man was gone and so was the €53,000.

Police said they found in the room a travel bag with tools and materials used for the production of counterfeit banknotes.