[File photo]
Police in Athens have announced the arrest of a taxi driver who stole bank cards from customers and later used them to make cash withdrawals from their accounts.
The 45-year-old cabbie, who was arrested on Saturday by officers from Syntagma police station, targeted elderly women, demanding that they pay him with card and not cash.
Informing them that his POS machine was malfunctioning, he allegedly demanded that his victims provide him with their PIN numbers. He also claimed he had another POS in the trunk of this cab and would get out of the vehicle to use that machine.
When his victims also exited the cab, the taxi driver would quickly return to the driving seat and leave the scene. On one occasion, he dragged one of his victims as he attempted to speed away.
He subsequently used the stolen cards and PIN numbers to withdraw cash.
Police are investigating six incidents involving the cabbie, who is facing charges of serial robbery, grievous bodily harm, electronic fraud and theft.