Online Scams in Thessaloniki, Greece

How it works

Fraudulent short-term rental listings for Thessaloniki apartments appear on secondary booking platforms, social media groups, and clone sites mimicking Booking.com or Airbnb. Victims pay deposits or full amounts upfront via bank transfer, then arrive to find the property does not exist, belongs to someone unaware their photos were stolen, or differs drastically from the listing. Greek cybercrime units have traced several operations to organised networks using servers across Greece including Thessaloniki.

How it works

A wave of fraudulent SMS messages recorded across Greece in early 2026 — reported by Athens News in March 2026 — informs recipients of alleged unpaid traffic violations and directs them to click a link for immediate payment. The messages impersonate Greek government traffic authorities and use urgency language about escalating fines or licence suspension. Tourists who have recently driven or rented a car in the Thessaloniki area are plausible targets, as they may have genuine uncertainty about whether they incurred a fine. The payment link leads to a fraudulent page that harvests card details.

How it works

Tourists and visitors in Thessaloniki receive SMS messages impersonating Greek banks (Piraeus Bank, Alpha Bank, National Bank of Greece) warning of account suspension or unusual activity, and directing recipients to click a link. The link leads to a convincing fake banking portal that harvests card numbers and one-time passwords. Greek cybercrime police dismantled a major phishing network in 2025 that targeted both locals and foreign visitors with Greek SIM cards, with individual losses reaching tens of thousands of euros.