Nearly $30 million was stolen from foreign tourists in an elaborate credit card fraud scheme in Kusadasi, a popular Turkish coastal resort, resulting in the arrest of 20 suspects, including the alleged mastermind, a hotel owner identified as “H.O.”
According to Turkish media outlet T24, at least 268 international tourists were defrauded in a scam involving “smurfing” — a tactic where large sums are split into smaller, less conspicuous transactions to avoid bank detection. This method helps criminals disguise illegal activity as legitimate payments, complicating investigations.
The fraud was uncovered through a coordinated investigation by the provincial gendarmerie and the Public Prosecutor’s Office, with initial suspicions raised when a state-owned bank detected suspicious international transactions. The investigation revealed unauthorized credit card charges made after the tourists had returned to their home countries.
Law enforcement found evidence of fraudulent transactions occurring at payment terminals in two Kusadasi hotels. The operation’s leader, hotel owner “H.O.,” allegedly stole credit card details from guests during check-in and shared this data with accomplices and other businesses.
Over the course of four months, the network reportedly swindled $29.27 million from victims, laundering the money through shell companies and business fronts. The illicit proceeds were then used to purchase properties, which were sold to convert assets back into cash. T24 reported the network generated roughly 1.1 billion Turkish lira (about $37 million) in revenue.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that on May 31, police conducted raids at 27 locations across several cities, including Aydin, Antalya, Izmir, Istanbul, and Mugla, leading to 20 arrests, including that of “H.O.” Some suspects operated from abroad.
Authorities continue to investigate the full extent of the criminal network, which exploited tourists’ trust and financial information in one of Turkey’s busiest resort areas.
Al-Monitor reached out to Turkey’s Public Prosecutor’s Office and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) for comment.
