In a case that highlights the risks of lending personal banking information, Gökhan Yaşar, 36, an employee at a pharmaceutical company in Ankara, has been charged with fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison. The charges stem from an incident where Yaşar allegedly provided his bank account details and card to a colleague, H.B., who claimed his own account was blocked and needed to receive payment for a car sale via IBAN.
The Alleged Fraudulent Scheme Unfolds
According to Yaşar’s testimony, his colleague, H.B., frequently complained about financial difficulties. One day, H.B. contacted Yaşar, stating, “I am unable to pay my debts. I sold my car. I received part of the payment in cash, and the rest will be sent to an account. However, due to my debts, my account is blocked. Would it be possible for them to send it to your IBAN number, and then you could give it to me?” Trusting his colleague, Yaşar agreed to the request.
A few hours after Yaşar provided his IBAN details, his account received money in four separate transactions. Yaşar then transferred these funds as instructed by H.B. Approximately one hour after the transfers, Yaşar lost all contact with H.B.
Yaşar’s Ordeal and Legal Proceedings
Two months later, Yaşar was summoned to the police station for questioning. He discovered that his IBAN number had been used to defraud two individuals. The scheme involved withdrawing money from the victims’ accounts, transferring it to Yaşar’s account, and then to H.B.’s. “Both the other people and I are currently victims,” Yaşar stated, expressing his distress. “I am being tried with a prison sentence of up to 20 years. I am experiencing difficulties at my workplace because of this. I have two children. I am trying to do extra jobs to support them. Despite this, I ended up in this situation while trying to make ends meet. I am in a very difficult situation. The other people are also victims. We are also victims. I want this problem to be solved, a reconciliation to be reached, and even though I am in a difficult situation, I want to compensate for this damage to both resolve the damage of the other victims and to free myself from this victimization.”
Legal Perspective on the Case
Gökhan Yaşar’s lawyer, İsmail Özdemir, explained the modus operandi of such scams: “Fraudsters introduce themselves as bank employees. They request approval from victims via mobile banking. After the victims give their approval, money is withdrawn from their accounts. These funds are then collected in Gökhan Bey’s account. However, Gökhan Bey believes the source of this money is his friend’s car sale. In other words, the person’s good intentions are used, and the bank account is actually used as a tool for crime.”
The case has been filed in the Bakırköy High Criminal Court, with Yaşar facing charges under the category of ‘Fraud by a person introducing themselves as a public official or an employee of a bank, insurance, or credit institution, or claiming to be associated with these institutions.’
