Woman robbed of €52,000 in Nicosia phone scam

A 72-year-old woman in Nicosia fell victim to a telephone scam on Wednesday afternoon, with perpetrators managing to rob her of a sum of €52,000.

According to a police statement, the woman received a call around 2pm on her landline from an unknown man who introduced himself as a surgeon at the Nicosia general hospital.

The suspect allegedly requested the sum of €57,000 for a surgical procedure that her son needed to undergo due to an alleged accident.

Meanwhile, according to the woman’s testimony given to the police, another person could be heard crying on the phone, claiming to be her son and confirming the accident.

Shortly after, an unknown man arrived at the woman’s residence, where he grabbed a bag containing €52,000 and fled after throwing it from the balcony.

The case is being investigated by the Nicosia CID.

The police statement urged people to remain vigilant, stressing that similar telephone communications and claims are false and aim to deceive and steal money, particularly from the elderly.