15.05.2026 14:10
İbrahim Öngel, 38, living in Aydın, mistook a TÜİK officer for a phone scammer because he was called from a personal number. Öngel, who refused to participate in the survey, was sent a fine notice of 18,991 TL. After receiving the official document, Öngel accepted the survey and avoided the penalty, while arguing that surveys should be conducted through official channels in a period when phone scams are increasing.
A 38-year-old individual living in Aydın faced a fine of 18,991 TL after refusing a survey request from a personal number due to fear of phone fraud. İbrahim Öngel, stating that he did not know the caller was a TÜİK official and was unaware of the legal obligation to participate in such a survey, said, "In our country, where many people fall victim to phone fraud, TÜİK should conduct surveys by sending official notifications."
THEY ARGUED ON THE PHONE
The interesting incident occurred in the Efeler district of Aydın. İbrahim Döngel, a 38-year-old tradesman in Efeler, hung up the phone on a caller from a personal number who introduced himself as a TÜİK official, thinking it was a phone scammer. After receiving a penalty notification on his phone, Öngel spoke with the person a few times, but when he did not believe they were from TÜİK and argued on the phone, a penalty notice of 18,991 TL was delivered to his home.
"I DIDN'T BELIEVE AND DIDN'T ACCEPT"
İbrahim Öngel, who avoided the fine by contacting the relevant institution and accepting the survey after learning the document was official, described the incident: "I occasionally heard about the Turkish Statistical Institute. A person called me from a personal number, saying his name was Fatih and that he was calling from TÜİK, and said, 'You have been selected as the family of the year; we will come to your home and conduct a survey with you.' I didn't believe it and didn't accept. I hung up. 20 seconds later, a message from TÜİK arrived about an 18,991 TL fine. I was in Izmir. I said I would come to Aydın and check. He called again 2 weeks later. At that time, I had lawyer friends with me. The same person from the same personal number said the fine would be applied if I didn't participate in the survey. On the advice of my lawyer friends, we said if you are an official institution, send an official document. In our country, where phone fraud is so prevalent and I even read in the news that a prosecutor was scammed 2 days ago, we want such surveys to be conducted through official means," he said.
Öngel, who avoided the 18,991 TL fine at the last moment, also expressed that he could not understand why participating in the survey is a legal obligation.