23-year-old arrested in Limassol over 34,600 euro phishing scam

Cypriot police arrested a 23-year-old man on October 5, 2026, in connection with a large-scale phishing scam targeting a resident of Limassol. The investigation was initiated following a complaint filed in February 2026 by a 64-year-old woman who claimed she was defrauded after interacting with a fraudulent text message.

The victim received a message on February 1, 2026, masquerading as a communication from a private courier service. Upon clicking a link within the message to pay a nominal fee of 3.46 euros, the woman unknowingly granted access to her bank account, resulting in the theft of 34,600 euros. Following a digital forensic investigation by the Cybercrime Sub-directorate, evidence was gathered linking the 23-year-old suspect to the fraudulent transaction.

The suspect is currently in police custody and is scheduled to appear before the Limassol District Court on October 6, 2026, where authorities will seek a detention order to facilitate further investigation. The case is being handled by the Limassol Criminal Investigation Department.