Greek police have arrested six people suspected of belonging to a criminal organization that allegedly used a nonprofit association to collect donations for children with cancer and other serious illnesses, then kept most of the money for themselves.
According to the Hellenic Police, part of the alleged proceeds was also used to secretly fund amateur football clubs and to manipulate the results of matches. The arrests were made in a nationwide operation early on Friday, October 30, 2026, and announced the next day.
Police said that donations meant for the families of 34 children whose parents have been questioned totaled 3,940,692 euros (approximately $4,415,000), but the families received only about 1,111,176 euros (approximately $1,245,000). The remaining amount, about 2,829,516 euros (approximately $3,170,000), is estimated to be the organization’s illicit gain.
None of the suspects has been named by police. All are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
How the alleged scheme worked
The case was led by the Organized Crime Subdivision of Northern Greece, with police from more than 20 regional directorates taking part. Police said the investigation began after a complaint about the transparency of the association’s operations and was carried out on the orders of a prosecutor.
According to the Hellenic Police announcement, the organization was made up of two subgroups linked through one common member, a 37-year-old man.
The first subgroup, consisting of the 37-year-old, a 35-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man, allegedly operated from at least October 2018. Police say it ran fundraisers without the license required by law and chose children with serious illnesses, mostly forms of cancer, as beneficiaries in order to gain public trust.
The group allegedly posted the children’s photos and medical details on social media, appealing for help with medical procedures, hospital stays, travel and accommodation for their families. Police say it also publicized donations from well-known artists, athletes and businesspeople to make the association look more credible.
Investigators identified 92 fundraising drives for 74 beneficiaries, 55 of whom have been identified. Police allege that the group used different photos of the same child in repeat campaigns, presented costs already covered by insurance funds as necessary expenses, inflated the cost of treatment and announced donations to hospitals that were never made.
In one case, police say, the group deposited money into the account of a mother of a child with cancer who was raising funds independently, then reported the account to her bank for fraud. Once it was deactivated, members allegedly offered to help her, aiming to steer her back to the association.
Millions moved through bank and betting accounts
With the help of Greece’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority, investigators examined 29 bank and payment accounts in Greece and abroad and analyzed more than 246,000 transactions.
Police said more than 5.8 million euros (approximately $6.5 million) was credited to the association’s accounts and to the 37-year-old’s personal accounts between 2018 and 2026. Donations were paid in through IRIS, a Greek instant payment service. How much cash was collected through events and donation boxes remains unclear, police said.
Money not passed on to families was allegedly spent on luxury goods, upscale accommodation and restaurants, or moved through personal and company accounts and online betting to make it appear legitimate. Police said the 37-year-old deposited more than 2.6 million euros (approximately $2,915,000) into betting accounts and withdrew more than 2 million euros ($2.25 million).
Two shell companies and a sham sole proprietorship allegedly issued nine fake invoices worth 149,700 euros ($168,000).
Alleged match-fixing in amateur football
The second subgroup, which police say was formed no later than September 2026, allegedly included the 37-year-old and three men aged 43, 35 and 38. Its alleged aim was to help a specific amateur club win promotion to Gamma Ethniki, the third tier of Greek football, and to profit from bets on manipulated matches.
Police said the 37-year-old spent more than 250,000 euros ($280,000) funding two football clubs where he acted as a hidden administrator and backer, paying players, staff and suppliers in cash without invoices. During the 2024–2025 season, he allegedly placed 62 bets on one of those clubs’ matches, several of them on the team losing.
According to police, two members of the subgroup who held key roles in the running of matches agreed to favor the club this season. One allegedly took 300 to 500 euros ($340-570) per match to arrange results, and in another case 1,000 euros ($1,115) was allegedly paid to influence a game.
Police also examined an under-19 league match in which the 37-year-old allegedly placed live bets after receiving a tip from another member. Police said that, based on evidence so far, the teams that played in that match are not believed to have been involved.
Seizures and charges
Officers seized phones, computers, two cars, designer handbags, luxury watches, bills of exchange worth 169,395 euros ($189,700), a check for 48,150 euros ($53,950) and 18,330 euros ($20,550) in cash. Bank and betting accounts of the 37-year-old, the 35-year-old and the association were frozen.
Depending on the individual, the suspects face charges including membership in a criminal organization, felony fraud, felony embezzlement, money laundering, breaches of sports law, and bribery to alter match results.
Questions over how charity money is handled have reached Greek courts before, including when the former head of a Church of Greece aid organization was sent to trial for embezzlement, ten years ago.
The six suspects are being brought before a prosecutor. Police said the investigation continues to establish the full extent of the alleged activity.
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