Turkey busts Israel-linked 'scam empire' behind alleged $266m fraud

Turkish security forces busted an Israel-linked fraudulent trading network that allegedly defrauded people in Europe, the Far East and Africa of at least $266m over the past two years, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on Friday. Gurlek said in a statement that the forex fraud investigation targeted 42 call centres operated by 28 companies and involving 239 suspects. "An organised fraud network targeting multiple countries was uncovered after we determined that individuals with links to Israel were the principal owners and ultimate beneficiaries of the companies in question," he said. Dawn raids were conducted at 236 addresses in Istanbul and Mugla in coordination with Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Interpol. Read more: Turkey busts Israel-linked 'scam empire' behind alleged $266m fraud Turkish anti riot police officers in Istanbul during a demonstration on 8 September 2025 (Kemal Aslan/AFP)