Baghdad police arrest suspect using fake crime-fighting agency account during livestream

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A security unit attached to the Baghdad Police Directorate arrested a man who had opened a fake social media account using the name of the Baghdad Crime Combat Directorate and was streaming live when he was apprehended, a police source said. The source said the operation was carried out in Baghdad and that the suspect was broadcasting through a counterfeit page bearing the security agency's name when he was detained. Investigators said the suspect posed as an official of the Crime Combat Directorate in an attempt to defraud social media users. Security forces have moved to shut down the fake account and refer the suspect to judicial authorities. Authorities urged the public to remain vigilant against attempts to misuse the names and identities of security institutions for criminal purposes.