They made a million-lira haul with fake visa websites!

The Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime teams of the Aydın Police Department determined that citizens wishing to obtain overseas visas were being deceived through fake websites. It was understood that the suspects collected money under the guise of "visa fees" on websites they created by perfectly imitating official visa application sites.

Research conducted by police teams revealed that the organized network had obtained approximately 1 million 700 thousand lira in illicit gains from 60 people to date. The operations launched within the scope of the investigation were carried out simultaneously, covering provinces including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bilecik, and Tekirdağ. During the operation, many digital materials were seized at the addresses of the suspects, and access bans were also imposed on 6 different fake websites.

Of the 16 people captured, 15 were referred to the courthouse after their procedures were completed. While 12 of the suspects brought before the court were arrested, 3 people were released under judicial control conditions. It was learned that the legal process regarding one suspect is still ongoing.

Authorities warned citizens not to contact any site or person other than official sources for visa procedures.

News Source: 12punto