Impersonating police, suspects swindle victim out of 2 million TL

A sophisticated scam has left a victim in Turkey's Merkez district approximately 2 million Turkish Lira poorer after two individuals impersonated police officers.

The incident occurred on July 9 in the Ziyaret town, where the suspects, identified as Hakan A. and Fevzi B., contacted the victim, K.D., by phone. They falsely claimed her name was involved in a murder case and that an examination of the gold items in her home was necessary for fingerprint analysis. This ruse successfully convinced K.D. to cooperate.

Following the phone call, the suspects arrived at K.D.'s residence, continuing their deception by posing as plainclothes police officers. The victim handed over her gold jewelry, including six bracelets, two necklaces, and two anklets, along with a sum of money in euros, dollars, and Turkish Lira, totaling an estimated 2 million TL. After receiving the valuables, the perpetrators left the scene.

Upon realizing she had been defrauded, K.D. immediately reported the incident to the gendarmerie. An investigation led by the Amasya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and conducted by the Provincial Gendarmerie Command's Gendarmerie Crime Investigation Teams (JASAT) identified the suspects. Hakan A. and Fevzi B. were apprehended in Giresun and brought to Amasya. The recovered jewelry and cash were returned to the victim. However, after completing their procedures at the gendarmerie, the suspects were released by the court on judicial control on July 10.