A Turkish court has sentenced Mehmet Aydin, the mastermind behind the fraudulent mobile game Çiftlik Bank, to over 45,000 years in prison. The game, marketed as a virtual farming investment platform, tricked users into believing they could profit from digital livestock tied to real-world agricultural assets.
The scam ensnared more than 500,000 people, including 150,000 foreign investors. Authorities eventually shut down the game and seized its assets. Aydin fled to Uruguay, where he lived luxuriously until being spotted driving a Ferrari. This prompted an international manhunt, leading to his eventual surrender at the Turkish embassy in Brazil.
During his trial, Aydin denied the intent to defraud anyone and blamed the asset seizures for his inability to repay victims. His brother, who was also charged, denied involvement in the scheme. Estimates suggest the fraud generated illicit profits of around $131 million, devastating countless investors.
