Fraud under the guise of home packaging: Over 33,000 complaints!

The rise in promises of extra work spread via social media during periods of economic hardship has also been reflected in the data. With over 33,000 complaints, "home packaging work" tops the list of such fraud methods. Scammers exploit the hopes of users who want to earn income by working from home, leading to serious grievances. Advertisements spread particularly on Instagram and Facebook attract attention with promises such as "Earn 10,000 TL per week", "State-supported packaging work", and "Income opportunity exclusive to housewives". These pages, created with stylish visuals, corporate language, and professionally prepared content, direct users to fill out a registration form. T.R. identity numbers, addresses, and IBAN information are requested. After the application, a deposit payment is demanded.

550 TL DEPOSIT, BLACKMAIL OF UP TO 300,000 TL CANCELLATION FEE

According to Şikayetvar data, almost all of these fraud attempts begin with a deposit payment. In the advertisements, users are told "your application has been approved" and are asked for an average deposit of 550 TL. After the payment is made, users are either blocked or hit with new expense items such as "shipping fees, insurance costs, tax expenses, and security deposits". Users who refuse to pay are then threatened by being told there is a "cancellation fee in the contract". According to the complaints, the demanded cancellation fees can start from 15,000 TL and go up to 300,000 TL.

IDENTITY INFORMATION ALSO AT RISK

In some complaints, it is reported that accounts are opened in the user's name using the identity information provided while filling out the form. Demanding higher amounts for deposit refunds and threatening victims are among the other notable grievances. 60 percent of the complaints cover payment and deposit requests, 15 percent cover threats and pressure messages, and 10 percent cover identity theft cases. New ones continue to be added every day to these complaints, which peaked in the summer months of 2024.

WHAT STEPS DO THE SCAMMERS FOLLOW?

According to user comments reaching Şikayetvar, the steps followed in this fraud method are mostly similar:

A fake advertisement is published on Instagram.

Communication is established via WhatsApp.

Personal IBAN information is provided.

The user is blocked after the payment is made.

According to the data, although scammers create a corporate impression on their pages, they direct users to personal IBAN accounts when requesting payment, close or delete comments, and constantly try to convince users with "last day" or "last chance" pressure.

WHAT SHOULD USERS PAY ATTENTION TO?

No employer requests money before starting a job.

Offers coming via Instagram and WhatsApp are largely unreliable.

Before sharing identity and IBAN information, the existence of the company must be checked via e-Devlet, İŞKUR, or the Trade Registry.

In case of fraud, one should apply to the police and the prosecutor's office, contact the bank, and share experiences on platforms like Şikayetvar.

Some of the complaints reflected on the subject are as follows: 

MY DREAM OF EXTRA WORK TURNED INTO AN 18,000 TL FRAUD

"I applied online for soap, keychain, hair clip, and sock packaging jobs as extra work at home. I deposited a 450 TL deposit, then they told me to deposit 4,752 TL as a shipping fee and that it would be refunded within 90 seconds. I deposited that too, and then they brought up a 13,952 TL invoice fee. I stated that I could not deposit it; they did not provide information about the fees that would arise beforehand. I stated that I did not have the means. During the job application, I sent my personal information including my name, surname, home address, IBAN, and phone number. I would like to state that from this date on, if any account is opened or any transaction is made with my identity and personal information, I do not accept any responsibility for any transaction made without my wet signature and consent."

THEY DEMANDED 84,770 TL AS A CANCELLATION FEE

"I wanted to get information by contacting them via WhatsApp for the home soap packaging job I saw on Instagram. First, I was asked to deposit 500 TL under the name of a deposit fee. I deposited 500 TL into the account. Because I was a new member, I was asked to deposit 3,000 TL under the name of shipping and income tax due to reasons such as address distance. I was told that this money would be refunded 90 seconds after depositing it. I didn't believe this and said I couldn't deposit the money; they told me to borrow from someone. I wanted a refund of the money I sent. At this stage, it was said: 'Legal procedure is applied in case of job cancellation. You cannot place an order and then cancel it. You must receive and deliver the orders placed. There is no obligation to continue working afterwards. Otherwise, a cancellation fee of 84,770 TL will be reflected to you. The description on the 500 TL receipt you sent is the product code and is proof that you have placed an order.' I do not approve of any official transaction, commercial purchase, sale, rent, guarantor, loan, debt, payment, business partnership, agreement, contract, and all official transactions made or to be made using my name, surname, address, phone, and IBAN information without my knowledge, and I absolutely do not accept any debt, with all my legal rights reserved."

WE GAVE A 450 TL DEPOSIT, WE WERE THREATENED WITH A 178,000 TL CANCELLATION FEE

I want a refund of the 450 TL advance money we paid for a job belonging to a packaging company in Konya. The company, which stated that they work legally for packaging, first took the deposit and immediately afterwards demanded a 4,720 TL shipping fee. Furthermore, when we said we could not pay this fee, they stated the threat of referring us to a lawyer with an annual 178,000 TL + VAT cancellation fee. They issued an invoice for 2,000 pairs of socks and created a shipment to a friend of ours in Denizli. We were uncomfortable with the pressure of this company. We felt the misleading attitude. It did not seem convincing, we were uncomfortable. We do not have a wet-signed contract; they are trying to mislead by creating a fiction.