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Cyprus

Second victim scammed in fake hospital scenario

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A 75-year-old woman was duped into giving €7,000 to a man who claimed a relative of hers needed urgent surgery, the second victim of such a scam in the past few days, Paphos police said on Tuesday as they reiterated calls to the public to be on alert.

Last week, a 73-year-old woman had filed a complaint to police that she had been tricked into handing over €10,000 to pay for the operation of a relative to a man who had telephoned her claiming to be a hospital director.

Police said at the time that they had received three other complaints from women residents of Paphos that they had received similar calls but not acted on them.

The latest case concerns a 75-year-old woman who told police that at around 10.30 am on Monday she had received phone calls on her home line and on her mobile, with the number withheld from a man with a Greek accent who told her that a relative had suffered a leg injury in an accident and needed urgent surgery.

He told her the operation would cost €50,000 and the money should be given to a man called “George” who would meet her at Nikodemou Mylona in Paphos.

The woman withdrew €7,000 from the bank and went to the rendezvous spot where she gave the money to a man who approached her and identified himself as George.

She later suspected she had been duped and filed a complaint with police. The man is described as aged around 30, about 1.70 metres tall, burly, with black hair and of fair complexion, possibly Cypriot or Greek. His description is similar to that given by the first victim.

Police are continuing their investigation and are urging anyone who receives a similar phone call to contact police immediately, either the nearest police station or the citizens’ help line on 1460.

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