Bank accounts at risk: A crime chain starting with an IBAN

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has issued a written statement warning citizens about the recent increase in cybercrimes and fraudulent activities. The statement highlighted that young people, in particular, are being deceived with promises of financial gain and are allowing others to use their bank accounts, electronic payment institution accounts, crypto asset accounts, and GSM lines, which leads to serious legal consequences.

MOST COMMON TYPES OF CYBERCRIME LISTED ONE BY ONE

The Prosecutor's Office's statement included the most common types of cybercrime encountered in Turkey and around the world. Accordingly, phishing, fake websites, social engineering methods, ransomware, credit card and banking fraud, data breaches, malware, cryptocurrency fraud, account takeover, cyber espionage, cybercrimes against children, character assassination, blackmail, and misinformation are among the most common crime categories.

It was stated that fraudsters use fake emails, SMS, phone calls, and, increasingly, deepfake technologies to reach their victims.

YOUNG PEOPLE DECEIVED WITH FINANCIAL PROMISES

The statement expressed that young people, in particular, are being persuaded with rhetoric such as "easy money," "short-term use," or "legal transaction" to allow others to use their accounts, and as a result, they often find themselves involved in serious criminal investigations without realizing it. It was clearly emphasized that allowing others to use bank accounts, electronic payment institution accounts, and crypto asset accounts constitutes a crime.

The Prosecutor's Office also shared with the public the phrases frequently used by fraud networks when obtaining accounts. The statement noted that individuals are being persuaded with claims such as "my account is blocked," "it will only be used for 1-2 days," "the account is yours but I take the responsibility," "the work I do is legal," and "no one has been caught yet."

It was stated that sharing IBAN information, handing over a bank card, or allowing the use of mobile banking credentials also falls within the scope of criminal activity.

TYPES OF FRAUD COMMITTED WITH ACCOUNTS

According to the statement, numerous crimes have been committed using these obtained accounts. These include fake product sales on the internet, cryptocurrency and investment fraud, "urgent money" and "you won a prize" scenarios via social media and WhatsApp, illegal betting and money laundering activities, fake job and work-from-home advertisements, fraud disguised as interest-free loans and marriage loans, and blackmail crimes.

It was pointed out that deepfake videos, which appear to be prepared on behalf of famous names and large companies, are being used extensively, especially in fake investment advertisements.

THE ACCOUNT HOLDER BECOMES THE FIRST SUSPECT

The Prosecutor's Office emphasized that in fraud cases, the money taken from the victim is mostly deposited into the account of the person who allowed their account to be used, and therefore, in complaints filed, the account holder is seen directly as the first suspect. It was stated that these individuals are defined as "money mules" in investigations and face the most severe legal consequences.

The statement indicated that individuals who have allowed their accounts to be used in crimes should immediately take their bank accounts and GSM lines back under their own control, save the correspondence and screenshots made with the fraudsters, inform their families, and report the situation to judicial authorities without delay.