Fake Court, Forged IDs, Housing Scam: Egypt Police Arrest Two Suspects

CAIRO, Aug. 4: Egyptian authorities have arrested two men accused of running an elaborate fraud scheme in which they impersonated judicial officials, staged fake courtroom scenes, and deceived citizens into handing over money by falsely promising government housing allocations.

The arrests came after investigators examined videos circulating on social media showing the suspects allegedly posing as judicial figures and soliciting money from victims. One of the suspects was also accused of collecting donations from followers under the false pretext of raising funds for a medical case.

Police identified and arrested the suspects—an unemployed man and a student, one of whom has a prior criminal record—from Cairo and Giza. During the operation, officers seized a blank-firing pistol, three mobile phones, a laptop containing evidence of the criminal activity, and forged identity cards.

Investigations revealed that the pair had formed a criminal gang specializing in defrauding citizens by claiming they could secure housing units through government agencies. To make the scheme appear legitimate, they staged fabricated court proceedings with the help of accomplices and used forged identification documents.

One of the suspects admitted to carrying out several similar frauds and confessed that the fake identity cards were printed at a printing shop in Cairo's Mouski district. Police later arrested the operator of the printing shop and seized a computer and printer containing evidence linked to the forgery operation.

The suspects have been referred to the Public Prosecution, which ordered their detention pending further investigation.