Bungalow scam in Türkiye defrauding $3.2M busted, 22 suspects arrested

Turkish authorities have arrested 22 individuals accused of defrauding 38 people of ₺120 million ($3.2 million) through fake bungalow rental listings in Sapanca, a popular getaway destination in northwestern Türkiye.

According to the information obtained from the authorities, victims, who reside in Kocaeli, reported to the Kocaeli Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office that they had made reservations and paid in advance for bungalow stays advertised on various websites and social media platforms.

However, they later realized they had been scammed when they were unable to reach the individuals they had contacted for the bookings.

Fake listings and deposits

Under the coordination of the Kocaeli Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Cyber Crimes Division of the Kocaeli Police Department launched an investigation to identify the suspects.

The probe revealed that the suspects had set up fake websites and social media accounts to advertise non-existent bungalows. They also established a call center to handle inquiries, persuading victims to pay deposits and insurance fees for reservations.

After completing their payments, victims found themselves unable to contact the alleged property owners. Some later discovered that the advertised bungalows did not exist.

On March 4, law enforcement conducted simultaneous operations in Istanbul, Ankara, Nevsehir, Adana, and Mersin, detaining 27 suspects.

Three more individuals were arrested during follow-up operations in Ankara and Adana on Mar. 7, bringing the total number of detainees to 30.

The suspects were transferred to the courthouse after completing police procedures. Of them, 22 were formally arrested.

Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the three fugitive suspects.