€21 million MADE WINGS FROM FRAUDS - €8 million IN ALLEGED INVESTMENTS IN CRYPTOCURRENCIES WERE LOST LAST YEAR - 921 CITIZENS REPORTED IN 2025 THAT THEY WERE DECEIVED ELECTRONICALLY - Filenews 28/3 by Michalis Chatzivasilis
Outrageous sums were made last year by scams either through computers, or directly or through phone calls. Unsuspecting citizens easily fall victim to international crooks operating from thousands of kilometers away, despite the calls of the authorities to be careful and despite the announcements about the action of the rings.
As can be seen in practice, scammers are always one step ahead, since as soon as their way of acting is revealed, they return in a more imaginative way, so that they become more and more loyal and deceive people, either financially, or the elderly or from all strata of society. Sometimes appearing behind the cloak of your bank, or pretending to be the Police, the Municipality, a state service and even the GHS, they try to bite as much as they can and disappear. A lot of money, however, is lost in camouflaged so-called investments in cryptocurrencies, where the perpetrators set up a whole plan for how an investment works, with increased profits and becomes more tempting if more money is invested. When the investor gives what he has and does not have and asks for a redemption of his "profits", then they disappear behind the dark world of the internet.
As reported to "F" by a Police officer who deals with electronic fraud, what is strange is the ease with which some people are persuaded and fall into the trap of fraudsters. Many times things are not as they seem and someone needs to search, but if you get a message that you have a package, while you are not waiting since you have never placed an order, these messages should not even be opened. Recently, for example, an elderly person saw an advertisement for investing in cryptocurrencies. This person was convinced and started giving money believing that it was being invested, while he had simply fallen victim to international fraudsters. It is for this reason, the officer in question pointed out, that before making the next move, we should search and ask, especially if we do not have the necessary knowledge.
Many play with the fear of citizens, or threats, and give in to fraudsters, he added.
According to data provided to "F" by the Police, last year they made wings in alleged investments in cryptocurrencies of more than eight million euros, while in other types of financial fraud, the perpetrators managed to grab more than €10 million defrauding more than 900 individuals or companies. To these amounts should be added another 4 million lost in dollars. In total, in 2025, over €21 million changed hands due to the action of fraudsters, while very few amounts have been recovered. As this officer pointed out to us, if the complaint is not made immediately after the theft is detected, then the perpetrators know how to make their traces disappear, since they transfer the money from account to account and to countries that do not cooperate, despite the requests for assistance that are sent.
According to Police data, for 2025, a total of 921 cases of internet fraud were reported / reported to the Provincial TAEs, involving a total amount of €10,352,540, 4,185,955 US dollars and 5,272 British pounds.
Most of these cases involve fraud either through email where they invite someone to invest in cryptocurrencies, or by stealing a company's passwords and instead of its remittance going to the correct recipient, scammers take it. In several cases they send the e-mail a link supposedly to log in so as not to block the computer and if someone opens it then they have full access to passwords, skimming bank accounts.
Now with artificial intelligence, the perpetrators have been upgraded and imitate a personality in order to trick their victims and gain access to passwords.
201 cases of pornography
Last year, the Cybercrime Sub-Directorate investigated 19 cases involving cryptocurrency-related fraud, in which a total of €8,120,000 was stolen. Also, 33 cases were investigated concerning forgery related to a computer, i.e. someone pretended to be another person in order to deceive and steal either bank data or for other purposes (to extract photos of obscene content, etc.).
In addition, 45 cases related to illegal interference with computers and 201 cases related to child pornography were investigated by Cybercrime. In 2024, 208 cases of child pornography were investigated and in 2023 another 203. As it turns out, despite the severe penalties and the fact that sooner or later someone who deals with child pornography will be identified, there are nevertheless many who take these actions, defying the possible punishment.
Limassol has the first place in crime
As for serious crime for 2025, the picture remains at about the same level as last year. 6,213 cases involving serious crimes were reported, of which 4,908 were solved, i.e. a solvency rate of 79%. Most crimes were committed in Limassol with 1592 cases, followed by Nicosia with 1370 and then Larnaca and Paphos with approximately the same cases occupying the Police. Several of these cases concern drug trafficking, property crimes, burglaries and thefts, violence, arson and bomb explosions, and offences against life (murder and attempted murder).
It is estimated that now with the surveillance of phones and the formation of a group against organized crime, the strikes in the underworld will be catalytic, whether they deal with drugs, protection, arson or bomb explosions. Especially in Limassol, there has been an increase in criminal actions lately, despite the arrests that are being made.
SERIOUS CASES BY POLICE DIRECTORATE – 2025
| POLICE DIRECTORATE | K | Q | % |
| NICOSIA | 1370 | 1101 | 80,4 |
| LIMASSOL | 1592 | 1165 | 73,2 |
| LARNACA | 1112 | 841 | 75,6 |
| PAPHOS | 1128 | 960 | 85,1 |
| FAMAGUSTA | 853 | 740 | 86,8 |
| MORPHOU | 158 | 101 | 63,9 |
| TOTAL | 6213 | 4908 | 79,0% |
