Limassol court jails woman for defrauding displaced property owners in €320,000 case

Limassol, Cyprus. A permanent criminal court in Limassol on Wednesday sentenced a 45-year-old woman to six years in prison and a 53-year-old woman to 12 months over a case involving the defrauding of displaced property owners. The court said the two women obtained more than €320,000 from victims through false promises linked to compensation claims and the sale of properties in the north.

Sentences imposed

The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to 16 charges, including 12 counts of obtaining money by false representation and four counts related to money laundering. The offences took place between 2023 and 2025.

The court imposed a three-year sentence for charges connected to obtaining proceeds from illegal activities and a six-year sentence for money laundering, with the penalties to run concurrently from the date of detention.

The 53-year-old admitted two fraud-related charges and was sentenced to 12 months in prison without suspension.

Court findings

The court said the 45-year-old acted in a “systematic and methodical” manner and convinced victims that she was working in their interests while presenting what the judges described as “false and fabricated scenarios” to win their trust.

According to the court, she claimed to be a lawyer with connections in the north and persuaded complainants to pay money for alleged property assessments, procedural expenses and compensation applications.

Victims were told they could obtain compensation through a so-called “compensation commission” or complete sales of properties in the north.

Victims and payments

The complainants, more than 20 in total and many of them related to one another, said payments were made either in cash or through the Revolut platform for supposed legal and administrative costs.