Fraud aimed at newcomers in Greece — jobs, rentals and “document help”

Newcomers are targeted because they need a job, a home and papers fast, often before they speak Greek or know which institutions are real. Fraud concentrates on exactly those three needs. Three rules cover most of it: never pay upfront for a job, never pay before viewing a rental, and never pay a premium for documents that are official and free.

Fake job offers

“jobs” that require paying upfront — for “training”, “visa processing”, “uniforms”, “registration” — or that ask for your bank account to receive payments (that last one is money-mule recruitment; see money mules). The rule: a legitimate employer never charges you to be hired and never needs control of your account. A real job runs through a written contract and EFKA registration.

Fake rentals

a “landlord” who is conveniently “abroad” and “can’t show it in person” asks for a deposit or first month by transfer or IRIS before any viewing, then vanishes. Listings use stolen photos at below-market rent to create urgency. The rule: never pay before viewing and signing; verify the person actually owns the property; insist on a written lease. A real Greek lease carries the landlord’s AFM and is declared on the AADE platform — ask for that. Pay traceably, never cash or IRIS to a stranger.

Paid “help” with documents (AFM / AMKA / residence permit)

“fixers” charge large fees for things that are free or low-cost and official — getting an AFM, an AMKA, gov.gr access, or “guaranteeing” a residence permit. Some take the money and disappear; worse, some submit false documents that void your application and put you in legal jeopardy. The rule: AFM and AMKA are free through official channels (KEP centres, gov.gr, AADE). Legitimate paid help exists — lawyers, accountants, licensed agents — but the scam is the inflated fee for a free service, a false “guarantee”, and no paper trail. No one can guarantee a permit.

Why newcomers are more exposed

non-EU newcomers especially, because the residence-permit dependency gives “fixers” leverage, the language barrier is real, and everything feels urgent. The IDs scammers ask for — AFM, AMKA, residence permit, passport — are worth guarding; and remember a legitimate process will never ask you to hand control of your bank account to anyone.

The one-line defence

the three things you most need — a job, a home, papers — are exactly where fraud waits. Slow down at the moment someone asks for money or account access, and check against an official source before you pay.

money mules · where to report fraud · two rules against scams · first IDs, in order

This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. If you suspect fraud, report it (see where to report). WTP Finance is informational only.

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