Families of imprisoned Iranian protesters targeted in fraud scam, Iranian legal group claims

Dozens of families in Iran whose relatives are imprisoned for participating in recent demonstrations have become targets of elaborate fraud schemes, according to Dadban, a legal advocacy group. These families, already facing extreme financial hardship, are being exploited by individuals demanding significant sums of money under the pretense of providing legal aid or influencing judicial outcomes.

One reported case involved a woman, identified as Mrs. M, whose husband was detained following December protests. She received a call from someone claiming to be cooperating with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The caller demanded 400 million tomans (approximately $300) to persuade a judge to grant her husband bail. Mrs. M struggled to raise the funds, eventually handing them over to an individual at a specified location, only for the scammer to disappear and turn off their phone.

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We discovered where CAF stores the trams that are heading to Tel Aviv, because they were marked in Hebrew, and faced with that, we did not remain passive.

In another instance, the sister of a detainee was contacted via Telegram with promises to reduce her brother's charges from espionage, which carries the death penalty, to a lesser offense. This offer came with a price of 50 Bitcoin. While this sister reportedly did not fall for the scam, Dadban noted that fraudsters often possess non-public case information, suggesting inside access. This access allows them to make credible claims about connections to judges and judicial officials.

Dadban highlighted that in many cases, the fraudsters demanded billions of tomans in legal fees, asserting special connections that could secure detainees' release. The group stressed that these scams prey on the desperation of families seeking help for their imprisoned loved ones, exacerbating their suffering and financial distress.

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during which several carriages intended for the Purple Line were painted with anti-Israeli slogans and several windows were damaged.