Turkey Reduces Penalties for IBAN Fraud Victims in New Judicial Package

Turkey’s Justice Ministry has published the 12th Judicial Package in the Official Gazette, adding a new clause to Article 158 of the Turkish Penal Code. The amendment halves the prison terms for individuals whose only participation in qualified fraud was handing over bank account, IBAN, credit‑card or crypto‑wallet details to third parties, provided they repay the victims within six months.

In a related crackdown, police in Istanbul’s Fatih district detained seven suspects linked to a fraud network that laundered money through cryptocurrency accounts. Authorities seized 219,000 lira in cash and uncovered an estimated daily illicit profit of about $25,000. The operation affected roughly 25 victims and identified the network’s leader, Uğur D., and his aides Ali G., Muhammed G., and Orhan D.