New fraud method: Million-lira scam with fruit and vegetable promises

Fraudsters claiming to be fruit growers through fake accounts have defrauded dozens of tradespeople.

One of them is 28-year-old market vendor Gökhan Sayan. Unaware that he was being scammed, Sayan contacted the individuals through an online advertisement and placed an order for sour cherries worth nearly 170 thousand TL. After agreeing on a price of 122 thousand TL for 3 tons 217 kg of sour cherries and making the payment via mobile banking, Sayan waited for his fruit for a while.

The fraudster who received the payment called Sayan again, stating that they had another 1 ton 280 kg of sour cherries in stock and that they could agree on a price of 44 thousand 800 TL if he wanted them. Reaching an agreement again, the citizen sent this money to the same account, making a total payment of 166 thousand 800 TL.

When Sayan contacted the individuals again regarding the goods that did not arrive, he was subjected to insults and verbal abuse by the fraudsters. After realizing he had been scammed, Sayan went straight to the police station.

PLACED A PLUM ORDER, DEFRAUDED OF 60 THOUSAND TL

In the incident involving multiple victims, a citizen named Bülent Karaden (48) was also defrauded of 60 thousand TL after placing an order for plums. The tradespeople demanded that the individuals be found as soon as possible. The complainants are waiting for a helping hand from the authorities.

According to the report by Batuhan Altınbaş from Sabah, Sayan stated that the individuals who committed the fraud via social media opened multiple fake accounts and even imitated people they knew, saying, "When I sent the money, I saw that the account number was registered in someone else's name. I am not the only victim; they have defrauded many people. I have nothing left. It has been 2 months, and there is still no news from the individuals. They are walking around with fake identities. I am asking for help from our state."

Tradesman Bülent Karaden stated that when he reached the fraudsters, he was met with insults, verbal abuse, and threats. Stating that he sent a 60 thousand TL deposit to the individuals and ordered plums, Karaden said, "I live in Trabzon, I am a tradesman. I saw a post in a Facebook group. They say they will send goods and take a deposit. I had ordered plums. Afterwards, there is neither goods nor money. I sent 60 thousand TL. When I call, they use insults, verbal abuse, and threats. We are asking for help from the authorities regarding this matter. We got burned, let others not get burned," he said.