An unusual counterfeiting case involving a 16-year-old was uncovered by analysts from the Greek Cyber Crime Unit. The minor, who was born in 2010, is accused of setting up a complete fraud operation inside his bedroom in Katerini, producing counterfeit banknotes and cloning bank cards with apparent ease.

The investigation that led to his arrest began on the very social media platforms he used. The teenager, apparently showing off his wealth, posted videos in which he withdrew money from an ATM using cloned bank cards. In other videos, people were seen displaying large sums of cash believed to be profits from the illegal activity.

What the teenager did not realize was that among the users following his accounts were experienced cybercrime officers, who carefully monitored the videos he posted. Through the analysis of digital traces and cooperation with telecommunications providers, investigators were able to identify the user behind the account and trace his home address in Katerini, Pieria.

On Wednesday, March 4, officers from the Northern Greece Cyber Crime Sub-Directorate carried out a raid at the teenager’s home in the presence of a judicial official. The scene they discovered was far from an ordinary teenager’s bedroom. Inside the freezer of a refrigerator that was no longer in use, and hidden in board-game boxes, officers found €32,200 in counterfeit €20, €50 and €100 banknotes.

Authorities also discovered what appeared to be a full counterfeiting setup, including blank chip cards, a smart-card reader, packaging materials, logo stickers and shipping receipts, which may have been used to deliver counterfeit banknotes and cloned cards. In addition, police seized two full-face masks, a collapsible police baton, a replica pistol with a magazine containing 13 plastic pellets, USB drives, two hard drives and three smartphones.

Among the seized items were also personal belongings of the teenager, such as watches and small bags that appeared in the videos he had posted online.

After his arrest, a felony case was filed against him for counterfeiting currency and electronic payment instruments, as well as for violations of weapons legislation. The minor was brought before the Public Prosecutor of Katerini. Digital evidence, including the mobile phones, hard drives and USB devices, has already been sent to forensic laboratories, while investigators are examining whether the teenager acted alone or was part of a larger criminal network.