Crime

Fraud Scheme with Gay Sex Offer

Source: DHA, “Eşcinsel ilişki teklifiyle dolandırıcılık” (“Fraud scheme with gay sex offer”), NTV, 13 January 2015, http://www.ntv.com.tr/turkiye/escinsel-iliski-teklifiyle-dolandiricilik,AkzknWbK306m6KUqX4S1rQ

Fraudsters Zeki T. (22), Gokhan K. (21) and Kaan O. (21), operating a three-man criminal gang on the streets of Istanbul have been caught.

It was revealed that one of the suspects, Kaan O. (21) approached strangers on the street offering them gay sex, before the two other culprits, claiming to be police officers, came up to the victims asking “Are you not ashamed of having had sex with this man?” and threatened to  take them to the police station.

The victims who feared humiliation at the police station have been paying up between 300 TL to 20,000 TL towards an alleged fund for the families of martyrs. It was discovered that the suspects have been taking the victims to a mosque, forcing them to perform ablutions and prayers, and making them swear they “haven’t had homosexual sex” before taking their money.

Offenders Force Ablutions and Prayers

An investigation by the Public Security Directorate exposed an extraordinary fraud scheme. Filing a complaint in Istanbul’s Kucukcekmece district, a man recalled “I was approached by a stranger on the street. He told me he was homosexual and asked if I wanted to have sex with him. I shrugged him off and started walking, when two men came up to me and showed me their police IDs. They accused me of having had gay sex with the man with whom I spoke earlier and wanted to take me to the police station. I tried to explain to them I had never seen that man before in my life. They then took me to a mosque to perform an ablution and a prayer, and made me swear I was telling the truth by placing my hand on the Qur’an. Then they asked me to make a donation for the families of martyrs. I gave them the 100 liras I had in my pocket. They told me this was not enough and that they would be calling on me soon.

Suspects Caught at Meeting Point

Following this complaint, police officers went after the suspects who sought 600 TL as additional payment from the fraud victim. Two of the suspects were arrested upon their arrival at a shopping centre where they had arranged a meet up to collect the sum. Statements from suspects Zeki T. (22) and Gokhan K. (21) led to the detainment of the third suspect Kaan O. (21) who had been playing the part of the gay man in these incidents.

Identified by Four Victims

 It was revealed during the suspects’ interrogation at the Pickpocketing and Fraud Bureau that these men were the suspects of four similar fraud incidents across Kucukcekmece, Uskudar, Esenler and Bagcilar neighbourhoods. They were identified at the Public Security Directorate by four separate fraud victims.

The suspects were taken to the judiciary after the police interrogation. Following their statements at the Prosecution Office, Gokhan K. and Kaan O. were arrested in court. The third suspect Zeki T. was released on bail.