Five people, including executives and agents of a public financial institution, were placed in pre-trial detention in a case of online fraud which targeted several victims.
The investigation reveals a sophisticated network having embezzled nearly three million dinars through methods of usurpation, manipulation and digital extortion, reports Mosaique fm. Judicial authorities are continuing investigations and are looking for a sixth suspect on the run.
A network organized within a public institution
The economic and financial investigation center of the judicial police in Bardo was contacted after complaints filed by citizens who were victims of electronic fraud. Investigations revealed that employees of a public financial institution participated directly in the operations, by exploiting confidential data and illegally issuing postal withdrawal cards in the names of the victims.
The network would then proceed to contact other people persuading them that they had won valuable gifts from abroad, allegedly tricking them into paying customs fees via these same hacked cards.
Multiple and targeted scam methods
The scammers also used another scenario: contacting victims claiming that their loved ones had been arrested and demanding the transfer of money, for the benefit of fake lawyers charged with defending them.
According to the elements of the file, the fraudulent operations spread over two years, generating more than three million dinars for the network, without the victims realizing the real origin of the withdrawals.
Judicial decisions and continued research
At the end of the hearing of the suspects, the investigating judge of the court of first instance of Tunis issued five committal warrants, including three targeting agents and executives of the public financial institution and ordered the search for another agent involved.
The investigation continues to identify possible accomplices, the internal chain of responsibilities, as well as the extent of the compromised data.
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