20-year prison sentence sought for social media influencer Onur Elmas: He was working with the Kafalar team

Tevfik Ç. (64) alleged that he was called on his mobile phone in March 2022 by a 7-person gang, including influencer Onur Elmas (26), under the guise of timeshare sales and advertising activities, with the promise that his timeshare would be sold to Arab tourists for much more than its value. Tevfik Ç. went to an office located in Ataşehir for the sales process. Tevfik Ç. paid 5 thousand TL to Muhammet Faruk A. (23) and Umut Ş. (25), who told him that he needed to give them power of attorney. Muhammet Faruk A. and Umut Ş. took Tevfik Ç.'s phone from him, opened accounts at 2 banks, and took out a total of 90 thousand TL in loans without Tevfik Ç.'s consent. Realizing the situation, Tevfik Ç. filed a complaint. Upon the complaint, the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation.

"REAL ESTATE TO ARABS..."

In his police statement, defendant Onur Elmas stated that he founded the company named CSR Paroni Medya in March 2020 and was its sole authorized person, that he did advertising work through a website, and that he ended these operations due to the complaint. Stating that he did not market real estate to Arab tourists, Elmas denied the accusations, stating that he had heard the names of the other suspects but did not do business with them.
The indictment prepared by the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office noted that under the name of CSR Paroni Medya Prodüksiyon Gayrimenkul Danışmanlık Limited Şirketi, timeshare owners were personally identified and invited to offices by company employees with the ruse that their timeshares would be sold to Arab tourists at high prices, after which the complainants' money was taken under the name of advertising. It was recorded that for those who did not have cash or those who were more easily convinced and deceived, their phones were personally taken from them, and they were taken to locations where loans were taken out via mobile banking methods. It was noted that these transactions were carried out under the guise of a legal framework as a commercial company activity, contracts were drawn up, and in this way, a total of 90 thousand TL in loans—56 thousand TL and 34 thousand TL—were taken out through mobile banking applications from the complainant's two private bank accounts to obtain illicit gain.

In the indictment, a prison sentence of 6 to 20 years was sought for 7 defendants, including Onur Elmas, for the crime of 'qualified fraud'. The indictment has been accepted by the court to which it was sent.