The 44-year-old man was being tried at the Judicial Court of Leiria for 36 qualified scams, one of which in attempted form. The defendant, who was in preventive custody, remained silent during the beginning of the trial, choosing not to make a statement with the assistance of an interpreter.
According to the final dispatch of the Public Ministry, the scheme used was the known "Hello dad, hello mom" method, in which the scammers contact victims pretending to be a relative in difficulty and asking for money urgently. The victims were spread throughout the country and allegedly lost a total amount of around 68 thousand euros.
The trial continued with the presentation of evidence and the hearing of witnesses, in a process that involved various regions of Portuguese territory. The LUSA news agency had access to the final dispatch of the Public Ministry that supports the accusation against the defendant.
