Three arrests in 3-mln-euro social security scam
Three people have been arrested in Athens on suspicion of colluding to defraud Greece?s main social security fund, IKA, out of some 3 million euros by hacking into its database and entering false figures for the hours worked by dozens of foreign laborers.
A 41-year-old Bangladeshi man, a 56-year-old resident of Halandri and a 61-year-old accountant were arrested on suspicion of working together to defraud IKA. Inspectors suspect that the 41-year-old, who owned a convenience store, passed on details of other foreign workers to the accountant, who then, with the help of his 56-year-old accomplice, used them to register false work details on IKA?s system, thereby qualifying the workers for social security credits, benefits and holiday pay as well as residence permits.
The men were arrested after the electronic crimes squad was alerted to the case. The accountant was arrested last year for another IKA-related scam, which is thought to have cost the organization 5 million euros. He is awaiting trial.
