Couple pretending to be doctors remanded again after extorting almost €100,000

Famagusta district court on Sunday renewed a remand order for two people aged 66 and 65, over their connection with obtaining €96,000 from elderly people by pretending to be doctors.

They were remanded for five days so as to help police have more time to continue their line of questioning.

The man, aged 66 and the woman, 65, face charges related to conspiracy to commit a felony, securing goods by false representation, theft, money laundering and conspiracy to commit fraud.

The offences were committed between the dates of May 16 and June 29 in Livadia and Larnaca.

Police received over 50 reports of attempted extortion of money by false representations concerning the two. They are accused of pretending to be doctors and asking for money to operate on relatives of elderly people.

The two were arrested on June 30 at their Aradippou home, where they found €16,000 in cash and gold coins, jewellery and four mobile phones.

They were remanded for eight days on July 1, and the order was renewed again on Sunday.

The lead investigator said he believes the couple had help from a third person from Greece, where they sought to obtain large amounts of money and jewellery from elderly people.