'Energy Farm' scam: Thousands defrauded
A criminal gang that defrauded thousands of people by claiming to build solar power plants across Turkey has been dismantled. A total prison sentence of up to 142 thousand 800 years has been sought against 42 suspects who netted 178 million TL through a fraudulent project they called "Enerji Tarlası" (Energy Farm).
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In a project launched in 2022 under the name "Enerji Tarlası," it was claimed that solar power plants would be established in various provinces across Turkey. Gang members divided the production sites into small plots and put them up for sale online.
Investors were promised that electricity would be generated from the plots they purchased and that the proceeds from this generation would be paid to them as rental income.
ONLINE SALES, NOTARIZED TRANSFERS
Thousands of citizens who believed in the project joined the scheme. Following advertisements placed online, share transfer transactions were carried out through notaries. While some investors received rental payments for a few months, many received no payment at all.
From April 2024 onwards, citizens who could no longer reach company officials realized they had been defrauded and filed criminal complaints with the prosecutor's office.
THE LAND WAS A FIELD — NO SOLAR PANELS
The investigation revealed that the plots sold were in fact classified as agricultural fields and had no solar panels on them whatsoever. A MASAK report found a discrepancy of 178 million TL between the revenue generated from sales and the payments made to victims, and determined that this money constituted proceeds of crime.
The investigation also established that some of the suspects had visited luxury entertainment venues in Northern Cyprus and engaged in gambling.
RECORD PRISON SENTENCE DEMAND
The indictment prepared seeks a total prison sentence of up to 142 thousand 800 years against 42 defendants. The fraud trial is expected to begin in the coming months.