Two Arrested in Baghdad for Defrauding Ezidi Citizens Through Fake Military Recruitment Scheme

Baghdad — Iraqi security forces have apprehended two men accused of impersonating advisers to the prime minister and swindling Ezidis with false promises of military recruitment, the National Security Service confirmed on 22nd July 2025.

The arrests were carried out in Baghdad following a covert operation that exposed the scheme. Investigators had been tracking the suspects in western Nineveh after reports emerged of Ezidis being pressured to pay for what turned out to be fraudulent enlistment in a non-existent military unit. The operation was authorized by a warrant from the Nineveh Investigative Court.

According to the statement, the suspects forged official-looking documents bearing the insignia of both the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Defense. Posing as government officials, they claimed they were establishing a new unit of the Popular Mobilization Forces exclusively for Ezidi recruits. They told victims the unit would number around 1,200 soldiers and demanded payments of 500,000 Iraqi dinars — about $357 — from each individual in exchange for registration forms.

Surveillance teams eventually caught the suspects in the act of collecting money from Ezidis. During the arrest, forged papers and related materials were confiscated.

Both men remain in detention as legal action proceeds.