Religious chats via WhatsApp group! They collected thousands of liras under the name 'Hacı Baba'! 'The jinn did it'

According to the information obtained, S.S. (54), her daughter M.S. (32), her son K.S. (37), and her religiously married partner B.H. (51) defrauded citizens of 2 million TL by exploiting their religious beliefs and sentiments. It was learned that the suspects claimed to be in contact with a spiritual entity they named "Hacı Baba" to the victims, convincing them by saying that this person was a supposedly great saint and a friend of Allah.

THEY WERE HELPING PEOPLE POSSESSED BY JINN

It was determined that the suspects collected money and gold from victims by lying that Hacı Baba helped people possessed by jinn and would protect those who donated from great troubles and calamities.

Furthermore, it was determined that they expanded the fraud by telling victims that this so-called spiritual help was not limited to them alone, and that they should also collect donations from their relatives and acquaintances. It emerged that the donations were requested under the guise of religious aid, infaq, and charity, and that the suspects caused serious financial losses by exploiting the victims' emotions.

3 SUSPECTS ARRESTED

Following a complaint, 4 suspects were detained regarding the fraud incident. Among the suspects, M.S. was released under judicial control, while S.S., her son K.S., and her religiously married partner B.H. were arrested.

"DONATE TO GET RID OF CALAMITIES"

The indictment prepared against the defendants was accepted by the Kocaeli 3rd High Criminal Court. The indictment included all the details of the fraud network established. It was stated in the indictment that the suspects gathered with the complainants at their address in Gölcük under the guise of "religious chats," that during these meetings, S.S.'s son K.S. introduced himself as a so-called scholar, and that he said a so-called spiritual person named "Hacı Baba" saved people from calamities but that a donation was required for this.

Additionally, the indictment noted that B.H. also communicated directly with Hacı Baba, conveyed to the complainants that this so-called spiritual person would save people from great calamities if "money was sent to him," and requested money under the name of "donations and religious aid."

WHO DOES THE HACI BABA PHONE NUMBER BELONG TO?

The indictment stated that S.S. had bank accounts opened in the names of victims A.T. and F.K., collected donation proceeds in these accounts, and managed the accounts personally, emphasizing that a large portion of the collected money was transferred to her daughter M.S.'s account.

The indictment also stated that the suspects encouraged victims to donate through religious chats by forming a WhatsApp group, and that investigations revealed the phone number registered in the WhatsApp group under the name "Hacı Baba" belonged to S.S.

"HE SUGGESTED DIVORCE"

The indictment also included the statements of the complainants and the suspects. Complainant F.M. (54) said in her statement in the indictment, "I work as a Quran teacher by going to homes unofficially. As I recall, in December 2019, S.S. came to me and said she wanted to learn the Quran. I then started teaching her the Quran. At that time, I was having difficulties because my husband was using substances. S.S. constantly suggested that I get a divorce. In February 2020, I left my own home and started living together with S.S. at her residence in Gölcük. She told me that she had problems with her bank account, that the state had placed a block on it, and that she could not use her bank accounts for this reason. Together, we bought a phone line in my name and gave it to S.S. for her to use. We also opened an account at the bank in my name for S.S. to use."

'HACI BABA' MESSAGE FROM WHATSAPP

Explaining that one day she received a message on WhatsApp, F.M. said, "A person reached out to me on WhatsApp through S.S., introduced himself as a spiritual scholar, and said that I could reach high ranks and the science of 'ledün' (esoteric knowledge). However, he said that in order to reach this rank, I needed to recite prayers for patients who had jinn. Different people started reaching out to me. After a while, S.S.'s son K.S. came to our house and started acting as a scholar. As far as I know, he also opened an account on Instagram called 'Kaan Hoca' and started spreading these topics. Subsequently, I, K.S., and S.S. started to agree on money with the patients we found. I definitely did not have a say in the pricing."

"HE DECEIVED ME"

F.M. continued her statement as follows:

"I was telling the patients the prices I was told. Upon their acceptance, money started to be deposited into the bank account registered in my name but used by S.S. I said I would definitely not take money from this business. I did it for the sake of Allah. S.S. also deceived me by saying that she did not take this money and that Hacı Baba was helping the needy. I know that K.S. is a computer engineer. He always had 2 computers and a phone in his hand. He was constantly busy with them."

"SPIRITUAL HELP"

Explaining that they started going to homes to recite prayers, F.M. said, "Apart from the money we received from the individuals, we formed a WhatsApp group with those around us. Hacı Baba would call us on the phone and say he was collecting aid. He was forcing people to pay zakat on their gold and to give infaq. He would send voice recordings like this and call personally. Then, the people in the WhatsApp group brought and gave me their gold, the amount of which I do not know exactly, on different dates. I gave the gold to S.S. She would wrap them in a prayer rug and take them to the bedroom. S.S. told us that the spiritual scholar's jinn took that money and gold away. It continued like that for 2 years. I sent the money they made me collect from my spouse, friends, and acquaintances to be given to Hacı Baba under the names of charity, infaq, and aid to Gaza. I also lost money to them. I thought there was fraud involved and distanced myself from them. Hacı Baba harassed me over the phone, saying 'The jinn will strike you,' and 'Don't tell anyone.' I am filing a complaint."

"I DO NOT ACCEPT THE ACCUSATIONS"

Arrested defendant S.S., in her statement, did not accept the accusations and said, "The person referred to as Hacı Baba had helped my spouse with his spiritual discomfort in the past. I had gotten this person's number from my friend. Hacı Baba had helped us. My friend F.M. also started residing with me because she was having family problems. Upon my recommendation, she met with Hacı Baba. We had a WhatsApp group with these people. I was receiving religious education through this group. Money was never collected using Hacı Baba's name. The money collection incident was for the purpose of helping. I distributed this money to those in need. I do not accept the accusations."

The other 3 defendants also did not accept the accusations. It was learned that the defendants will appear before the judge in the coming months.

"THEY WERE A SECRETIVE FAMILY"

On the other hand, the house in Gölcük, which was the subject of the fraud incident by the suspects, was filmed. Speaking to İHA microphones about the incident, the family's neighbor Mümin Çalışkan (70) said, "We don't know anything proper about the family. People were coming and going, but they didn't interact with anyone. They were a secretive family. They didn't interact with anyone. Everyone here greets each other, drinks tea together, but they were not like that towards us. They had a look with chadors, fezzes, and beards. I guess they had been renting here for about 1.5 years. They had rented it for 12 thousand TL at that time. We were very surprised that they rented it for so much when it was 3-4 thousand TL everywhere else at that time. We learned about the fraud incident from the neighbors after the individuals were taken by the police. I didn't know if there were religious chats or not."