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A 57-year-old businessman in Nicosia was scammed out of €14,500 after falling victim to a sophisticated phone fraud scheme, police said Tuesday.
According to the complaint, the businessman was first contacted Monday afternoon by a person claiming to be a new customer interested in placing an order with his company. The supposed client asked for the company’s bank account details to complete the payment.
Soon after sharing the account information, the businessman received a second call, this time from someone claiming to be an officer with his bank’s fraud department. The caller warned that his account had been compromised and offered to help recover the funds. In the process, the scammer managed to convince the businessman to provide more banking details, which led to a €14,500 withdrawal from his account.
Police said the case is under investigation by the Nicosia Financial Crime Investigation Unit.
Authorities are urging the public to remain cautious and never share sensitive banking information over the phone, even if the caller sounds official or trustworthy.
“Always verify who you are speaking with,” police said in a statement. “If you receive suspicious calls about your accounts, hang up and contact your bank directly using official contact details.”
This incident follows a worrying trend of scammers posing as both customers and bank employees to gain access to personal financial data. Police are reminding citizens to double-check any unusual requests, especially those involving money transfers or account information.
