Mine Mumcu arrested in Istanbul for alleged 35 million lira Ponzi scheme

Mine Mumcu, known as ‘Ponzi Mine’, has been apprehended in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district after being a fugitive since 2023. Authorities arrested the 45-year-old at a cafe in Suadiye following a targeted operation by the Istanbul Police Department.

Mumcu faces a total of 20 years in finalized prison sentences and is wanted in 38 separate cases involving crimes such as bribery, establishing a criminal organization, forgery of official documents, and looting. During her arrest, police discovered she was using another woman’s identity to hide her whereabouts.

It is alleged that Mumcu operated a Ponzi scheme, defrauding various high-profile individuals, including bureaucrats, celebrities, and athletes, of approximately 35 million Turkish Lira. To gain trust, she reportedly posed as a lawyer and, at other times, as a Jewish businesswoman named ‘Maria Mine Mumcu’. Notable figures mentioned as potential victims include Helin Avşar, Ece Erken, and basketball player Semih Erden.