Twenty-year-old arrested in Paphos for series of online SMS scams

On October 14, 2026, police in the Paphos district arrested a 20-year-old male, identified by Rik News as a Pakistani national, in connection with three online fraud cases involving SMS messages. The suspect is alleged to have defrauded victims of more than €19,500. Following his arrest under a judicial warrant, the Paphos District Court ordered the suspect to be held in custody for eight days as the investigation continues.

This individual is already under detention related to three separate fraud investigations conducted by the Larnaca Criminal Investigation Department (TAE). Those cases, for which he was originally arrested on October 6, 2026, also involved SMS-based fraud schemes resulting in the loss of over €7,000. In total, the suspect is linked to six fraud cases involving combined illicit gains of approximately €27,000. Investigations into both the Paphos and Larnaca cases remain ongoing, with local authorities coordinating the efforts to address the criminal activity.