'Checkmate' operation against dizzying fraud scheme

Müslim SARIYAR/12punto.com.tr

Bitlis Public Security Branch Directorate and Cyber Branch Directorate teams have dismantled a significant fraud gang that has been increasing in recent years with interesting methods. The investigation, which led to a dizzying fraud gang, began with a complaint filed with the Bitlis Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on November 18, 2022.

"SOAP PACKAGING AT HOME" ADVERTISEMENT

A housewife who filed a complaint stated that she applied after seeing an advertisement online that said, "Applications have started for soap packaging work at home," and added, "They asked for some money as a deposit, and I sent it. But then I couldn't reach them." Following this complaint, the Bitlis Public Security Branch Directorate and Cyber Branch Directorate teams launched an investigation.

THEY TOOK THE MONEY AND DID NOT SEND THE SOAP

The police teams conducting the investigation encountered a new fraud method. The fraud method worked as follows: The suspects, who posted "Soap packaging at home" job advertisements online, would tell people who wanted to do this work at home, for example, "We will send you 30 thousand liras worth of soap. You will earn 5 thousand liras from this package," and would take either the full price of the soap they were supposedly going to send or a 5 thousand lira deposit from some. However, no soap was sent to anyone for packaging.

THEY USED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The police, who launched an investigation to identify this network, first examined who the accounts to which the victim sent money belonged. The examination revealed that the accounts to which the money was sent belonged to high school students. They realized that the fraudsters immediately converted the money transferred to these accounts into cryptocurrency to cover their tracks. The police were facing a professional gang.

THEIR TRACKS WERE FOUND THROUGH RELENTLESS PURSUIT

The police, who launched a relentless pursuit to identify the gang, found the fraudsters' tracks in high school records. Starting from the school yearbook, the police determined that 3 graduates were living a life of luxury far above their ages and their families' incomes. One of them was 21-year-old Hurşit Mert Ö.

BLACKMAIL BY POSING AS WOMEN

3 people, including Hurşit Mert Ö., were placed under surveillance. It was determined that they were staying in a luxury residence in Mersin. Technical surveillance and tracking were initiated against the suspects with a court order. During the tracking, the fraudsters' other activities also emerged. One of these was that the suspects opened social media accounts using female names and pictures. They then blackmailed the men they lured into their trap by threatening them over the sexual chats they had. They extorted money from the people they trapped with blackmail.

"CARP TRAP" INCIDENT ALSO EMERGED

The incredible and diverse fraud methods of the gang under surveillance began to be exposed one by one. It was determined that the fraud gang also defrauded many people using the 'Carp Trap' method.

THIS IS HOW THEY DEFRAUDED

According to this method, the fraud took place as follows: The suspects, who reached out to vehicle owners selling cars online as if they were customers, introduced themselves as public officials and entered into negotiations. Then, they would send a small deposit to the vehicle owner they reached an agreement with, saying, "My relative will come for the notary procedures. But don't tell them how much we agreed on." As soon as the vehicle owner removed the advertisement, the suspects would immediately put the vehicle up for sale online using the photos they had taken.

THEY BROUGHT THE TWO TOGETHER AT THE NOTARY

The suspect, who made an agreement with the customer who came to the sales advertisement as if they were the vehicle owner, would tell the customer, "My relative, to whom I have given power of attorney, will come to the notary. They will handle the procedures. You will send the money to me. But don't tell my relative how much you bought it for." Following these conversations, the vehicle owner and the complainants who wanted to buy the vehicle would meet at the Notary without knowing about each other. While the procedures were being carried out, the person buying the vehicle would send the money to the suspect's account. The truth would come out after the vehicle sale was completed.

"CHECKMATE" OPERATION AGAINST FRAUDSTERS

Following all this evidence and information obtained, the button was pressed by the Bitlis Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Upon the operation order, an operation codenamed "Checkmate" was carried out by the teams of the Public Security Branch Directorate affiliated with the Bitlis Provincial Police Department against the suspects in Bitlis, Adana, and Mersin.

THEY ENTERED THE RESIDENCE DISGUISED AS FOOD DELIVERY WORKERS

The police, who determined that the gang staying in the luxury residence had installed a closed-circuit camera system to escape a possible police raid, entered using a different method. The police, disguised as food delivery workers, dismantled the suspects' center with the operation they carried out on the residence.

DETENTION AT THE CAFE ON SECURITY CAMERA

3 people, including gang leader Hurşit Mert Ö., were detained at a cafe. The moments of the detention of the 4 people were recorded second by second by the security camera.

24 DIFFERENT INCIDENTS EMERGED

It was determined that the 6-person gang, which was dismantled by the Bitlis police after a month of work, had committed 24 separate fraud crimes. In addition to numerous phones and computers used in fraudulent activities, a Glock brand weapon and cartridges were also seized in the operation.

FOOTAGE OF THEM DEFRAUDING EMERGED

In the seized mobile phone records of the gang, footage of the moments they defrauded the people they trapped while at the computer in the residence emerged. After the investigation, 4 suspects were arrested. A judicial control decision was issued for 2 people.