Khaberni - An Egyptian court sentenced a defendant to 15 years of hard labor for creating a fake account on the social media site "Facebook" under the name "Sheikha Amira Al-Masrya," and using it for fraud and extortion.
The events of the case date back to 2024 after three citizens — namely: Hind. A. M, Alaa. M. H, and Mohamed. A. A — reported that an unknown person had created an account under the name "Sheikha Amira Al-Masrya," and claimed his ability to heal with the Holy Quran, communicated with them through messages, and asked to send personal photos under the pretext of "Sharia healing".
After the victims sent private photos, the defendant threatened to publish them unless they paid him money. One of the victims complied with the request and sent him an amount of 6,000 Egyptian pounds, fearing scandal.
By legalizing procedures, Captain Karim Amro, an officer in the Administration of Combating Cybercrimes and Information Technology, was able to identify the perpetrator's identity using modern devices and technologies. It turned out to be Mahmoud. E. M, a 22-year-old from the village of Nawaora in Al-Badari center.
After being apprehended at his place of residence, charges were brought against him, and he confessed to committing the incident, confirming that he was soliciting men and women through "Facebook" using fake accounts, impersonating a "spiritual healer," and claiming mastery of spiritual sciences and practices of magic and sorcery. After obtaining private photos from the victims, he threatened to publish them to extort them financially.
The investigations revealed that the accused followed an organized criminal pattern based on psychological deception and emotional exploitation, taking advantage of some people's need for spiritual healing or fear of scandal.
The confessions of the accused and witnesses were recorded, and they were presented to the public prosecutor's office, which referred the case to the criminal court, which issued the mentioned judgment after confirming the presence of all elements of the crime and the accusation being proven.
