How the fake paintings scam industry worked – The leaders, the artists and their marketing

The ELAS has announced the dismantling of a criminal syndicate involved in the manufacture and sale of counterfeit artworks, specifically paintings falsely attributed to renowned artists throughout various regions of Attica.

A coordinated police operation led by the Sub-Directorate for Combating Trafficking in Persons and Goods took place from early morning until late evening on Tuesday (10/6), resulting in the arrest of 13 individuals associated with the organization.

The charges filed against them include forming and managing a criminal organization, aggravated fraud amounting to a total of over 120,000 euros, serious violations of intellectual property laws, professional misappropriation of cultural artifacts, organized money laundering, and drug trafficking, among others.

During the operation, a covert investigation by the Cultural Heritage and Antiquities Protection Department led to three transactions involving fake artworks. The first transaction included a Picasso painting sold for 25,000 euros, followed by a group of six items (two Pollock paintings, one Monet painting, and three religious icons) for 100,000 euros, and finally a set of seven items (five paintings by Parthenis and two religious icons) for 150,000 euros.

Modus Operandi

To achieve their illicit goals, the organization’s members, active since at least February 2025, established a structured criminal network equipped with a fully operational lab containing aging ovens, paints, pallets, brushes, and more. Their activities included:

• Producing counterfeit paintings attributed to both foreign and Greek artists recognized as modern cultural heritage, covered under antiquities law.
• Developing fake certificates of authenticity with false stamps.
• Distributing these “originals” through members operating second-hand and antique shops across Attica and leveraging a wide financial network for sales.

The accused displayed a specific modus operandi with defined roles:

• Two leaders (aged 63 and 37) were responsible for creating forged artworks and certificates, circulating them through the organization.
• A sub-group of four members (ages 58, 39, 40, and 63) exploited antique shops to knowingly purchase these counterfeit items and resell them as authentic.
• Two auxiliary members (ages 71 and 57) assisted in creating fake certificates and artworks, with one leveraging his photocopy shop to supply counterfeit stamps and materials.
• Five other individuals (ages 59, 60, 49, 49, 57, and 45) were tasked with selling the art and finding buyers.

Following searches across various locations in Attica, the authorities seized:

• A forged painting attributed to Picasso, dated 1965 and measuring 130 cm by 85 cm.
• A wooden artwork marked as GAUTIER from 22/12/1967.
• 204 additional forgeries attributed to various artists.
• Nineteen religious artworks.
• 2,087 coins, mainly classified under antiquities law.
• Two vehicles, three digital storage devices, and two laptops.
• Thirteen wooden seals with impressions from various art dealers, critics, and collectors.
• Two ink pads, numerous art supplies, a metal detector, an electric air oven, and various figurines.
• A collection of documents, photographs, and certificates related to the artworks.
• A total of €66,125 and £50 in cash.

The arrested individuals were processed for prosecution.

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