Egypt arrests suspects for fake judge scam

The Interior Ministry said several people were arrested after a plot involved people posing as judges on social media to scam citizens. The main suspects, an unemployed man and a student in Cairo and Giza, were detained and asked to talk about their role in the gang.

They admitted to taking money from the public by falsely claiming they could provide housing from government agencies. The Ministry added that they also staged fake court scenes, filming photos and videos inside a courthouse with a judicial sash to boost their credibility.

State-run newspaper al‑Ahram said several suspects who were detained were referred to an expedited criminal trial. The first suspect was arrested after a man claimed he had been defrauded by a fake judge, and police seized a firearm, a judicial sash and identity cards with his false title.

The suspect also confessed to filming inside the courtroom and posting the images, while a second suspect admitted to publishing the content under the name of a judge on social media. Court employees were also detained and questioned under the allegation that the main suspect had tried to convince them he was a judge in Egypt’s judiciary.

Authorities said the investigation started after the complaint of a private citizen, and the cases are now under expedited legal review.