Iraq arrests 40 in nationwide cyber-extortion crackdown

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s National Security Service said Saturday it arrested 40 people accused of cyber-extortion and online blackmail across 10 governorates after a three-month campaign triggered by complaints filed through its official platforms and hotline 131.

The agency said the arrests were made under judicial warrants following reports from citizens who said they were blackmailed for money to stop the release of private photos, videos, or other sensitive material. Others reported cases of online defamation.

One of the most prominent cases came from Basra, where officers detained a woman in Abu al-Khasib district who they say operated a social-media page called “Extortion Fighter.” According to the agency, she claimed she could hack blackmailers’ accounts and asked victims to send her the images and videos being used against them “to help recover them,” only to extort them herself. She was arrested while receiving money from one of her victims.

In Muthanna, officers arrested a suspect accused of extorting a young woman for roughly 9 million dinars and attempting to collect more.

All detainees were transferred to judicial authorities to face charges under Articles 430 and 433 of the Penal Code.

The agency reiterated warnings about the rise of online scams in Iraq, including fraudsters impersonating local and foreign banks through fake social-media pages and websites. Officials say the schemes lure victims with offers of easy loans, grants, or discounted dollars before directing them to fraudulent sites that collect personal data and enable salary theft and unauthorized transfers. The service has also warned about the growing misuse of deepfake technology to manipulate voices and images, urging citizens to verify financial entities through official channels and avoid sharing sensitive information online.