The windscreen wiper scam, now widespread across Cyprus, involving men who roam public and private parking places, mostly outside supermarkets, replacing wipers on cars with ‘new’ (usually stolen) ones and demanding exorbitant amounts from unsuspecting victims, has turned violent for the first time, causing concern for authorities, after a man tried to help a relative get rid of them.
The incident happened in Paphos last Sunday, when a 47-year-old intervened at the Timi outdoor bazaar, as the scammers were pressuring a woman into paying them for wipers she did not want, but had now been fixed on her windscreen without permission.
The man was attacked by an unknown individual who punched him in the face, causing a serious nasal fracture and injury to his right eye. He was initially rushed to the Pafos General and subsequently Nicosia for more specialised treatment. He underwent surgery and is recovering.
As police reported, he was trying to defend his relative, who was refusing to pay the scammers. The perpetrators claimed and were insisting (as they do in each case) that the wipers they had installed were "single-use" and could not be removed without breaking, demanding payment.
The argument ended in a scuffle and the injury of the 47-year-old, while the scammers fled the scene and are being sought by police. The Kouklia precinct is investigating a case of grievous bodily harm.
Locals and visitors in Pafos should note that the windscreen wiper scam has been mostly observed along the Yeroskipou coastal front and more recently the Timi bazaar area.