The Problem
You have been swindled. Perhaps you transferred money for a long-term villa rental that turned out to be fake, fell victim to a local crypto scam, or wired funds to someone posing as a legitimate business. You have the IBAN numbers and chat logs, but no idea how to navigate the Turkish justice system to get your money back.
How the Law Works in Turkey
Financial fraud (Dolandırıcılık) is aggressively prosecuted in Turkey, especially when committed using digital information systems, banks, or credit institutions (Nitelikli Dolandırıcılık). The law allows the Public Prosecutor to freeze the bank accounts of the scammers if there is strong suspicion and evidence of fraud, preventing them from moving your stolen money offshore.
What the Tourist Should Do
Do not delete any evidence. Print out all WhatsApp conversations, email threads, bank transfer receipts (Dekont), and fake contracts. You cannot simply report complex financial fraud to a regular police officer on the street; you must submit a formally drafted criminal complaint (Suç Duyurusu) directly to the Public Prosecutor's Office (Savcılık) at the local courthouse.
The Risks
The Turkish legal system operates entirely in Turkish. If your petition is poorly translated, lacks the correct legal terminology, or if the evidence is not properly notarized, the prosecutor will dismiss your case due to lack of evidence (Takipsizlik). Once the scammers realize you are struggling with the bureaucracy, they will empty their bank accounts and disappear.
LetFix Solution
To successfully freeze a scammer's bank account, speed and legal precision are vital. Our financial crime lawyers will translate your evidence, draft a flawless petition, and push the prosecutor's office to take immediate action to recover your funds.
