Minister of Internal Affairs Ali Yerlikaya recently announced one of Turkey’s largest cryptocurrency fraud operations. The operation, centered in Ankara, was carried out simultaneously in 21 different provinces. The name of the operation, which was carried out under the coordination of the General Directorate of Security, Department of Combating Cyber Crimes, was announced as SİBERGÖZ-42. As a result of the operation, 127 suspects who were found to have engaged in fraud activities at the international level and obtained illicit profits worth $1 billion were detained.
$1 billion cryptocurrency fraud operation
Making a statement about the details of the operation, Minister of Internal Affairs Ali Yerlikaya said that the operation was carried out in Antalya, Istanbul, Izmir, Eskişehir, Uşak, Aydın, Muğla, Kütahya, Çorum, Balıkesir, Denizli, Adana, Bursa, Malatya, Tekirdağ, Isparta, Karabük, Konya, Şırnak and Samsun. He stated that it was carried out simultaneously in . During the raids carried out within the scope of the operation, a large number of digital materials and equipment that were determined to be used in fraudulent activities were seized. Additionally, 177 immovable and 61 movable assets were seized. A licensed pistol and a blank cartridge gun were also seized during the operation.
It was revealed that the cryptocurrency platform called Smart Trade Coin, which was at the center of the operation, trapped citizens with the promise of “high profits with zero risk”. This platform created a pyramid scheme that encouraged existing users to bring new users by selling bot applications that performed automatic buy-sell transactions to its users. It was stated that users were included in the system by making them believe that they would earn high profits with this method, and as a result they suffered great losses.
There is also an international fraud dimension
It was determined that Smart Trade Coin was involved in fraudulent activities not only in Turkey but also internationally. In this context, it was announced that the platform victimized thousands of people around the world and gained unfair profits of over 1 billion dollars. Minister of Internal Affairs Yerlikaya emphasized that the fight against such fraudulent activities will continue with determination and that citizens should be careful against such promises.
It was reported that 127 suspects detained as a result of the operation were facing charges such as fraud, illicit gain, establishing a pyramid scheme and committing crimes at the international level. It was stated that the suspects’ interrogations at the police station are continuing and the legal process will be carried out meticulously. Minister Yerlikaya said that measures against similar fraudulent activities will be increased and necessary steps will be taken to raise citizens’ awareness.
Security measures in the digital world
The increase in such incidents has once again revealed how important security measures are in the digital world. It was emphasized that those who want to invest in cryptocurrency should choose licensed and reliable platforms. It was also stated that one should be careful about platforms that make various promises with the promise of high profits. The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that citizens should be careful against such fraud attempts and immediately report suspicious situations to the authorities.
As a result, this major operation carried out in 21 provinces, centered in Ankara, showed how serious the measures taken against cryptocurrency fraud are. The statements of the Minister of Internal Affairs Ali Yerlikaya were considered as an important step in raising citizens’ awareness and protecting them against such fraudulent activities. It was once again emphasized that citizens should be more careful and conscious to prevent such incidents from recurring.
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