19 of the suspects in the İzmir-based ‘Wallet Operation,’ which took residents’ crypto money assets and seized an unjust amount of 50 million liras (or approximately 3 million dollars), were apprehended. In the investigation of various digital documents recovered from the suspects of the theft, it was found that the suspects set up a phony website to mislead the victims. They established a phone line based on fake identities, and they took images with cash piles to deceive people. The contents of the communications showed the scammers moved the stolen money between themselves.
48 People in Total were Apprehended for this Crypto Theft
İzmir Provincial Police Department Anti-Cyber Crime Branch teams identified the network that created a fake website similar to the real one. The site sent a link to citizens from social media platforms with the promise of crypto money and took over citizens’ crypto money accounts. Cyber police teams intervened to apprehend 64 offenders, including two Georgians and one Ukrainian citizen, who used this tactic to scam countless individuals.
In simultaneous operations, 48 people were apprehended in all the provinces around Turkey, including İzmir, Adana, Aksaray, Ağrı, Aydın, Ankara, Antalya, Kocaeli, Mersin, Muğla, Bursa, Isparta, İstanbul, Hakkari, Kırklareli, Niğde, and Samsun. During the searches conducted at the residences, a considerable amount of digital items were confiscated.
The Fraudsters Mimicked a Popular Cryptocurrency Site
According to research relating to the event, the fraudsters replicated a popular cryptocurrency site and sent a brief message to their mobile phones with the promise of ‘5th-year special crypto money is being awarded’. The victims later discovered that their assets had been stolen.
It was discovered that the funds in the cryptocurrency accounts seized by network members were moved to the accounts of other criminals abroad. It was revealed that the scammers used this strategy to swindle a huge number of individuals of around 50 million liras.