In an operation conducted by the Cyber Crimes Unit of the Provincial Security Directorate yesterday, the suspects who were allegedly defrauding more than 1500 people were detained and their procedures at the police station were completed. After a health check at Nevşehir State Hospital, 54 of the suspects were arrested, and 15 were released under judicial control.
Seven of the suspects were released after their statements to the prosecutor. The Cyber Crimes Unit of the Provincial Security Directorate initiated an investigation following a complaint from a resident, revealing that the suspects were sending messages to residents through a foreign-registered number, asking them to leave comments and ratings for companies listed on the Google Maps application. They encouraged small payments to establish trust and requested a “VIP group” transfer fee for higher payments.
During the 16-month surveillance by the police, it was found that the money collected from the residents was transferred to different accounts and later to cryptocurrency accounts to cover the tracks, eventually reaching a total of 1.2 billion Turkish lira. At the instruction of the Nevşehir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, a simultaneous operation was conducted at 95 addresses in Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Izmir, Mersin, Samsun, Diyarbakir, Adana, Karabük, Mugla, Çorum, Yalova, Kocaeli, Şırnak, Batman, Kırklareli, Hatay, Ordu, and Van, where 76 suspects were detained and brought to Nevşehir.
Among the detained suspects, 54 were remanded in custody, and 15 were released under judicial control. It was reported that seven suspects were released after giving statements to the prosecutor. The Cyber Crimes Unit initiated the investigation following a complaint from a local resident, leading to the discovery of the suspects’ fraudulent activities directed towards residents. The suspects were found sending messages through a foreign-registered number, prompting residents to leave reviews for companies on the Google Maps application and requesting money for access to a “VIP group” for higher payments.
The police discovered that the money collected from residents was transferred to various accounts and eventually converted into cash after being stored in cold wallets not associated with any cryptocurrency exchanges or individuals, totaling 1.2 billion Turkish lira. The operation targeted suspects across multiple cities, resulting in the detention of 76 individuals who were subsequently brought to Nevşehir for further legal proceedings.
The coordinated efforts of law enforcement across different regions proved successful in apprehending the suspects involved in defrauding over 1500 individuals. The rigorous surveillance and investigative work conducted by the Cyber Crimes Unit led to the identification and capture of the suspects, ultimately bringing justice to the victims of the fraudulent scheme. The arrests and legal procedures follow a thorough examination of the suspects’ activities, highlighting the commitment of law enforcement to combat cybercrime and protect the public from such fraudulent schemes.
