Mother and son now arrested over Paphos cash scam (Updated)

Paphos police have made a second arrest in connection with a case of impersonation and obtaining money under false pretenses, the Cyprus News Agency reported on Wednesday.

It said that a woman aged 51 was arrested as being a suspected accomplice of a 34-year-old man who was arrested on Tuesday.

The two are mother and son, and both were remanded in custody for eight days by Paphos district court on Wednesday.

Police said they are investigating a total of 10 cases – three concern obtaining money under false pretenses and the remaining seven, attempts to do so.

Deputy Paphos district police chief Michalis Ioannou said the investigations are in their initial stages and local authorities would be asking for help from Interpol.

Police will take about 30 statements and seek court permission to secure phone records as they look for accomplices.

Among the cases being investigated is one that unfolded on Tuesday when a potential victim led police to a rendezvous with the male suspect where she was due to hand over cash he had told her was needed so that her daughter could undergo urgent surgery after a traffic collision.

Besides obtaining and trying to obtain money under false pretenses, the two are also under investigation for money laundering and conspiracy to commit an offence.

Police were alerted by employees of a bank branch where the potential victim had gone at midday on Tuesday to withdraw €20,000, as she spoke on her mobile. Asked, she told staff that she needed the money urgently to pay for an urgent operation for her daughter.  Aware of several recent cases of a similar scam, staff contacted police who went to the bank branch.

There, they established that as in previous cases, the woman had been contacted by telephone, told her daughter was in hospital and needed surgery for which a large sum of money was needed.

In cooperation with police, the woman went to the rendezvous place with an envelope, pretending she was going to hand over the money. As soon as the envelope had changed hands, police swooped in and arrested a 34-year-old man.

After further investigations, suspicions arose regarding the suspect’s 51-year-old mother who was arrested. In their statements, mother and son reportedly admitted to the offences – including taking €10,000 from a 70-year-old on February 4 and €7,000 from a 75-year-old on February 7.  They claimed they had sent the money to their country. No details as to their nationality were given.