# Criminal activity and fraud in Turkey > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/criminal-activity-and-fraud-in-turkey > Updated: 2026-09-25T05:56:13.000Z. Sources: 22. Developments: 2. Criminal activity in Turkey has been observed utilizing both digital marketplaces and sophisticated impersonation tactics to target individuals and the public. Investigations into organized crime groups revealed the use of digital platforms like Telegram and Signal to facilitate a “digital marketplace” for various illegal services. These networks offer services ranging from physical violence, such as murder and armed assault, to human trafficking, weapon sales, and cybercrimes. These groups reportedly engage in price competition and use cryptocurrency to facilitate money laundering. Parallel to these organized networks, fraudulent actors have been employing impersonation to target citizens. In Çanakkale and Biga, suspects used fake police IDs sent via WhatsApp to convince residents that their identities were linked to thefts, resulting in the loss of approximately 2 million TL in jewelry. This led to raids in Istanbul and the arrest of suspects O. K. and A. P. O. Recent reports indicate a surge in these high-value deception schemes. In Manisa, a group posing as police officers defrauded residents of approximately 6 million TL in jewelry; the suspects were apprehended in Konya following a vehicle pursuit. In İzmir, a fraud ring impersonated lawyer Ebru Bilgen, using fake professional licenses to claim victims had outstanding settlement files, netting approximately 1 million TL in a single day. Other notable incidents include a scam in Ankara where individuals posing as prosecutors and police stole 750,000 TL, and the arrest of a woman in Ankara’s Gölbaşı district with 152 prior criminal records and a 260-year prison sentence after she stole 170,000 TL in cash and jewelry. ## Claims - A fraud ring used Ebru Bilgen's professional identity to scam citizens. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The scammers claimed there were settlement files and threatened criminal lawsuits if payments were not made within the day. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The criminals sent fake lawyer license images containing Ebru Bilgen's name to victims. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The total amount defrauded in a single day is estimated to be approximately 1 million TL. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Individual victims were defrauded of amounts ranging from 80,000 TL to 120,000 TL. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Ebru Bilgen filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office regarding the incident. (corroborated by 3 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-25: Turkey reports multiple fraud and theft incidents Turkey reports multiple major crime incidents, including large-scale fraud via police and lawyer impersonation, a high-profile theft by a repeat offender in Ankara, and a massive counterfeit tobacco bust in Muğ 19 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/fraudsters-in-turkey-use-impersonation-to-target-citizens ### 2026-09-03: Turkey: Digital platforms used as marketplaces for organized crime Criminal organizations in Turkey are using Telegram and Signal to create digital marketplaces for murders, assaults, human trafficking, and money laundering, with prices negotiated openly online. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/turkey-digital-platforms-used-as-marketplaces-for-organized-crime --- Cite as: Criminal activity and fraud in Turkey. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/criminal-activity-and-fraud-in-turkey