A nun who also worked at a tax office in Serres, northern Greece, is being investigated for allegedly forging dozens of applications for financial aid in order to obtain thousands of euros that was meant to go to poor families.

The 45-year-old woman was transferred to the tax office in the village of Nea Zichni from Thebes seven months ago and police believe that since then she has been engaged in serious fraud.

Officers said that the nun, who was not named, forged the signatures of local officials on false claims for financial assistance and obtained between 600 and 900 euros for each of the dozens of applications that was approved.

The families in whose names these applications were being made had no idea that claims had been submitted on their behalf. The tax office has also launched an internal investigation into the allegations.