A Pretending “Wife” of General Swindles Poor People to Invest Funds in Libya

The general prosecutor at the Court of Sidi Mhemed in Algiers has referred two mid aged women to custody pending trial over charges of money laundering, swindling, as well as forgery and the use of forged documents.

Detectives of the National Gendarmerie in Algiers have recently dismantled a swindling gang composed of 5 women and 5 men, activating in Algiers and Tipaza, in addition to Libya.

The gang was led by a mid aged woman who pretended being the wife of a General”, and helped by a Murshida (religious guide) and teacher of Sharia at a high school in Tipaza. 

  The case dates back to 2003, when R.F, 50 years old, started swindling people, by alleging that she can help them to be granted a house, in exchange for money sums ranging between 200 thousand and 3 million DZD. Sometimes, the defendant pretended being the wife of a famous General at the Ministry of Defense, and sometimes she told her victims she is official in charge of housing in the prefecture of Tipaza.

In 2006, she fled to Illizi, southern Algeria, when the swindled started claiming their promised houses. In Illizi she managed deceiving three other citizens, as she promised them houses in exchange of golden jewelry and money, and then fled with a forged passport to Libya. She opened a couple of Algerian sweets specialized stores to launder the robbed funds, detectives concluded. 

In 2010, the defendant returned back to Algiers, and resumed her rip off activity, as more victims were swindled with the involvement of her ex husband and her two sisters, who work in a local bank. 

The majority of the victims were trapped by the Murshida, 39, who used to deceive “clients” inside mosques and at wedding parties by promising them houses in exchange of sums of money and jewelry.

In 27 December, detectives managed arresting the mastermind of the gang inside her flat in Algiers, and then managed identifying the other 9 members. Huge funds and jewelry were recouped. 

As many as 200 victims were swindled, as they were “robbed” about 50 million DZD and load of jewelry.