A man named Selçuk S., who runs a business in Hatay, showed interest in a light commercial vehicle that he liked on the internet, being sold well below the market value. After contacting the phone number in the ad, Selçuk S. agreed to purchase the vehicle for 560,000 Turkish lira with a person named Caner who identified himself as a dealer. Selçuk S. then traveled to Erzurum to meet with the owner of the vehicle, Bülent C. The two went to a garage to get the vehicle inspected and then proceeded to the notary for the sales process.
At the notary, Selçuk S. spoke with dealer Caner over the phone once again. The seller asked Selçuk S. to send the agreed amount of 560,000 lira to an account registered under the name E.D. Selçuk S. sent the money and expected the sale to be finalized. However, Bülent C., the owner of the vehicle, informed him that the money had not yet been received in his account, requesting them to wait. Selçuk S. realized he had been scammed when he couldn’t reach Caner after some time. He and Bülent C. then went to a nearby point where traffic police officers were present to report the incident.
Selçuk S. explained, “I saw the vehicle in the ad and since the price was right, I contacted the person and we agreed. I came to Erzurum. The person who claimed to be a dealer introduced us. We took the vehicle to an inspection together. When the vehicle passed the inspection, I called the person and told him that I liked the car and that we had been to the notary. Then I transferred the money to the IBAN number he provided through internet banking. But the real owner of the vehicle next to me said ‘That person should send me my money; let’s start the process.’ We waited for a long time, called when the money didn’t arrive, but couldn’t reach him, and realized we had been scammed. There was also some money of my 3-year-old daughter who I lost in the earthquake in that amount.”
Bülent C. (32) stated that he initially put his vehicle up for sale for 810,000 lira, and later agreed with a person who claimed to be dealer Caner for a sale price of 800,000 lira. Bülent C. said that this person sent him a deposit of one thousand lira and asked for the ad to be removed from the website. Despite the warnings from the dealer, Bülent C. clarified that they never discussed the price with the buyer Selçuk S., stating, “The person who introduced himself as a dealer but was actually a scammer kept telling me ‘Bro, don’t deal with the customer, I’ll handle it’.”
Selçuk S. and Bülent C. realized they were scammed using the bait and switch method, and later went to the police station to file a complaint. The Fraud and Pickpocketing Bureau initiated an investigation to apprehend the suspect.
