ÇİĞDEM YILMAZ – Scammers looking to launder and embezzle funds from illegal gambling and betting use bank accounts of people in need to channel their dirty money. Similar accusations have been made against the couple Dilan and Engin Polat, who are on trial for money laundering charges. The indictment against the Polats, in the statement of secret witness Mert, alleges that the flow of funds was carried out through university students’ accounts. According to the secret witness, the field team deceived the students with the promise of earning 20,000 TL per month, opened accounts in 5-10 different banks and obtained SIM cards in their names. Students from Marmara University, Eskisehir Anadolu University and Sivas Cumhuriyet University were reportedly targeted by the Polats’ orchestration.
We followed up on the claims in the file and discovered an “account rental victim” account on Telegram. People we contacted from that account provided Milliyet with the following details of the black money ring:
“I’ve been on trial for 26 years.”
B.Ç, 24, said that he visited a Telegram “account rental” site to rent a bank account, saying: “They convinced me that there was no problem, and I handed over the account and was paid 4,000 TL immediately. In one week, 800,000 TL went in and out of my account. A lawsuit was filed against me for this. There are eight files. I have been on trial for 26 years. “They didn’t give me any names directly, but I found out that these people are using these accounts as influencers.”
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“There are five investigations.”
Esra A. also claimed: “I needed to get a loan but couldn’t get one so I found a car. These middlemen took my cards. Money is going in and out of my account. I have five investigations going on right now because of these cards. Transactions have been made from my account to five different people. These people are called ‘fields’ and they somehow scam people like me and make transactions through their accounts.”
“My friend is a field player.”
AK, a 22-year-old university student, said: “My friend told me he had a problem with his account and asked if he could use my account. And I said, ‘OK.’ He said he wanted to use my account again and I gave it to him. He said he would pay the fee after the money was deposited in the pot. That’s how two transactions were made through my bank account and now I’m being sued for it. I found out later that the friend was a field player. “He used the accounts of dozens of students,” he said.
“I received 5,000-6,000 TL.”
“I gave these people my card details and my card through a friend. They paid me 5-6 thousand TL in exchange for my card,” said EK (23), a university student. “My card was used like this for a while, and almost 500,000 TL were transferred. Now I am facing heavy penalties and a trial. “I later found out that this network lends cards to anyone, especially students, with similar promises.”
“We are not victims, we are partners in crime.”
NK, 31, said he borrowed five different bank accounts, saying: “People who want to borrow accounts contact people through job-seeking platforms. I also met these people on one of these platforms. I earned almost 50,000 TL in a week. I left it alone because I knew there was nothing legally wrong with it. In fact, we are not victims but accomplices, because everyone goes in knowing that money laundering is taking place. You give all your banking information and the bank automatically makes the transaction or you go to the bank and withdraw it. “So I went to the bank and withdrew and handed over almost 800,000 TL.”
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“What do you think I should do?”
One student shared the following in a social media post: “Someone wants to lend me their card in exchange for money, what do you think I should do?” Hey guys, I’m a student, I don’t have a penny in my pocket. A friend told me to open an account and rent their card. “What do you think is the biggest thing that could happen to me if I do this?”
Imprisonment: 4 years and 2 months
Lawyer Osman Shahan provided the following information: “The majority of people who contacted us claiming to be victims were university students, and mainly student bank accounts were used. These people who lent out their accounts are on trial for either qualified fraud or qualified theft, and have been sentenced to four years and two months in prison. However, there are circumstances where: each has at least three files, and up to 60 files. This means four times 60, or 240 years. “If you compensate the other party for their grudge, the four years and two months in prison will be reduced to one year and eight months in prison.”
YÖK also warns!
The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) worked with MASAK to inform students about the dangers they could face if their bank accounts were used for illegal purposes. Posters created by MASAK and sent to universities by YÖK told students: “Don’t burn your future accounts.” If your bank account is used to transfer money for crimes such as money laundering, financing terrorist organisations or fraud, you could face heavy prison sentences. “Don’t let others use your bank account,” the warning read.
