I constantly share news about fraud in this column. I want our citizens to be alert. A citizen named Zafer has shared his experience in a message.

He was searching for job listings on a search engine and came across a site named "işin olsun" (Get a Job). After applying to the listing, a verification code was sent. Then they asked to fill out an online form with all his details. The listing was removed, and the scamming phase began. There were many complaints on a site named "Şikayetvar" (Complaint Here) from people who experienced the same issue. Here is one message:

“I applied to a consultancy listing of Kris company through 'işin olsun.' They said they called me. Later, on December 24, 2023, I received a message from the 'işin olsun' app. The message said, 'Your suitability for the job is confirmed, but to provide more information to human resources, please fill out the form below' and included a link. When I clicked the link, it asked for my personal information and IBAN. I filled them out completely. Then a user on WhatsApp said they transferred 105 TL to my IBAN and sent me another IBAN. They told me to send back the 105 TL to this IBAN and share the receipt with them. They said their recruitment representative would then contact me. I entered my identification details for the transfer on Papara. They told me it was for a salary account. I did a facial recognition process and registered my ID details.”

Readers of this column will remember that this application was previously used in a scheme called "We provide scholarships" targeted at university students.

Another citizen, Süheyla, also experienced similar incidents through the same site and adds, “I shared my details because I trusted the 'işin olsun' app."

DON'T GET SCAMMED

I'm also receiving messages about applications advertised on social media promising large profits.

Please read what happened to Mr. Halit: “I found a brokerage firm on the internet that seemed very secure and promised earnings with small investments. I applied. They called me shortly after from an international phone line and asked me to deposit an amount equivalent to 50,000 Turkish Liras in dollars. I sent 2,600 dollars as instructed. They assigned me a consultant. The consultant called me every day, explaining how to make money from the system, and started trading with foreign companies. We started making money. After a while, I began withdrawing some of my earnings to satisfy myself. The requested money was sent in Bitcoin. Everything was normal until then. My consultant kept calling me, promising big returns with more investment. I increased my investment to 10,400 dollars. They kept making various promises to get me to deposit more. Eventually, the consultant made me trade with a company in a losing transaction. My investment started to decrease rapidly, but despite my losses, swap, and commission fees were excessively high. I could no longer reach my consultant or get any response. Someone from the 'risk department' abroad called, saying, 'Your account is at risk, deposit money.' But I had no money left... I couldn't reach anyone, and my money got locked at 225 dollars. I sent several offensive emails to get it back. Finally, they reluctantly sent the last 225 dollars to my Bitcoin account and closed my account. I'm warning everyone. Don't invest in this company. I will file a criminal complaint against them."

I won't prolong this. The same firm has scammed dozens of people with the same methods. It's a Ponzi scheme.

However, our people's poverty and the desire to get rich quickly provide opportunities for these scammers. The money earned without effort eventually costs you even more.

Please be careful not to fall into the traps of these scammers. I will continue to share such examples.