Two people found guilty of participating in one of the biggest cases of online trading fraud have been sentenced to seven years in jail with hard labor and deported by the Criminal Court in a historic decision. The defendants, a 26-year-old African citizen and a 53-year-old Arab resident, were found guilty on accusations of appropriation, fraud, and money laundering.

The lawsuit started when a citizen claimed to have been duped and had 157,000 dinars taken from him. The victim was duped by the defendants’ plan, which used electronic platforms to entice him into financial trading with promises of rapid and certain gains. The victim said that he received a call urging him to trade through external platforms, which led the security services to become aware of the fraud. His money was lost because he was tricked into opening his wallet and entering a secret number on a phony platform.

Investigations showed that the defendants were part of a bigger network that involved five other people, including two Europeans and a number of young men and women of various Arab nationalities, and was headquartered in a nearby European nation. The defendants and their anonymous collaborators were accused by the Public Prosecution of a number of crimes, including money laundering and improper use of telecommunications.

Alaa Al-Saeedi, the victim’s attorney, stressed the significance of informing the police about these crimes, advising victims to not give up and to contact law enforcement. Al-Saeedi also cautioned against falling for fraudulent schemes, advising anybody interested in electronic trading to use trustworthy and authorized platforms sanctioned by the authorities.

The court’s decision highlights the necessity of monitoring and vigilance in the digital marketplace and acts as a warning against the spread of electronic trading fraud.