Tunisia intensifies the war on cybercrimes.. Sentences of up to 9 years in prison in a case of hacking and blackmail via Facebook

صحافة بلادي — Tunisia: The Criminal Chamber of the Court of First Instance in Tunisia issued effective prison sentences ranging from five to nine years against members of a network specialized in hacking personal accounts on Facebook and exploiting them in electronic blackmail operations.

The case came after the security services specialized in combating cybercrime received a number of complaints from citizens who confirmed that their accounts had been hacked and seized without their consent.

According to the data circulated in the file, technical research revealed that members of the network were using electronic means to hack digital accounts, before demanding sums of money from their owners in exchange for recovering them, or threatening to publish pictures and personal data.

Investigations also showed that the defendants took advantage of some of the hacked accounts to impersonate their owners and communicate with their acquaintances and friends with the aim of obtaining money transfers or making gains through fraudulent means.

After completing the research and referring the file to the judiciary, the accused were prosecuted on charges related to illegal access to information systems and personal accounts, blackmail and threats via electronic means of communication, in addition to acts related to digital fraud.

The court ruled to convict the network members with sentences ranging from five to nine years in prison, in a step that reflects the Tunisian authorities’ tendency towards strengthening the response to cybercrimes and protecting citizens’ personal data.

This issue comes in light of growing warnings about the dangers of electronic hacks and digital fraud, with continuous calls to enhance the culture of digital security and adopt the necessary means of protection for personal accounts on social media sites.

Source:“My press”