Turkish prosecutors seek 50-year sentences for hacker group

An indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office seeks prison sentences of up to 50 years for seven members of a cybercrime organization. The investigation, which began following a tip to the Provincial Gendarmerie Command, revealed that the group stole and sold the personal information of approximately 19.8 million people.

Digital forensics conducted on seized materials uncovered 30 separate files containing phone numbers and various personal details. The investigation suggests the group may have accessed and copied data from social media platforms, including Facebook.

The indictment identifies Gökay Celal Gülen, known in the IT community as the ‘Black Hat Hacker,’ as the alleged founder of the organization. The group is accused of using specialized software to access banking systems, transferring funds from inactive overseas accounts, and using forged documents to withdraw cash. Other activities included card skimming and stealing usernames and passwords for email and social media accounts.