Anti-money laundering authority investigates cyber fraud cases in Crete

The Hellenic Authority for Anti-Money Laundering is investigating two sophisticated cyber fraud cases targeting public entities in Rethymno, Crete. The total amount stolen exceeds 650,000 euros. Authorities suspect that the same perpetrators may be behind both incidents due to the similar methodology used to deceive public employees and redirect funds to unauthorized recipients.

The first case involved the theft of approximately 152,000 euros from a regional administrative service. Investigators found that this sum was laundered through 55 rapid, smaller transactions to avoid detection. A second case, uncovered just six days later, involved a significantly larger sum of approximately 500,000 euros. In both instances, the attackers created deceptive email addresses mimicking banking institutions to misdirect payments.

Following the unauthorized transfers, the stolen funds were rapidly funneled into foreign bank accounts. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities attempt to trace the final beneficiaries of the funds and determine if the two attacks are part of a coordinated criminal operation. Future actions will focus on identifying the perpetrators and assessing potential security vulnerabilities within the affected regional offices.