07.02.2025 15:12
A retired dentist in Giresun lost 570,000 liras to scammers after responding "Yes" to a phone call. The dentist stated that the scammers created fake approvals by editing his "Yes" response, saying, "Everything happened while I was asleep that night. In fact, shopping was done in Dubai at 2:00 AM."
80-year-old retired dentist Halis Eren, residing in the Eynesil district of Giresun, was called by scammers last November. Eren, who answered "Yes" to the questions asked by the scammers, lost 570 thousand liras. He claimed that hundreds of thousands of liras were withdrawn from an account opened in his name in the middle of the night, and this debt was billed to him by the bank. After the incident, Eren filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office, stating that he was also scammed by phone fraudsters during this process.
"A LOAN WAS WITHDRAWN FROM MY ACCOUNT AT MIDNIGHT"
Retired dentist Halis Eren, recounting what happened to him, explained that he was scammed through the bank account he had worked with for many years, saying, "I have been working with a bank for many years. However, on the 12th of November, at 01:00 AM, an account was opened in my name. At the same time, a loan of 550 thousand liras was withdrawn, and a credit card was issued. At 01:00 AM, 5 thousand liras were withdrawn from the credit card account, 5 thousand liras at 02:11, 5 thousand liras at 01:20, and another 5 thousand liras at 01:42. The bank not only did not pay this money but also collected the 20 thousand liras in my account for this debt," he said.
After the incident, Eren went to the bank to meet with the authorities, stating, "They took my documents, but they did not provide detailed explanations, saying 'We cannot give information.' Following this, I filed a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office, and I am currently waiting for the outcome of the process," he said.
"SHOPPING WAS DONE IN DUBAI AT 02:00 AM"
Eren noted that while the investigation was ongoing, payments of 20 thousand liras on December 9, 91 thousand liras on December 20, and another payment of 13 thousand 500 liras on the 7th of this month were made, stating, "However, I have no signature, no approval, and no contact in these transactions. Everything happened while I was asleep in the middle of the night. I did not request a credit card, nor did I ask for a loan. In fact, shopping was done in Dubai at 02:00 AM. Despite this, the bank is asking me to pay this money," he expressed.
"HE ANSWERED 'YES' TO QUESTIONS ON THE PHONE"
Eren, stating that another aspect of the incident was phone fraud, said, "My phone rang. The caller asked, 'Am I speaking with Eynesil District Police Chief Halis Eren?' At that moment, without hesitation, I said 'Yes.' Then he asked, 'Are you sitting on top of the shopping market located at the Ören Beldesi road junction?' I again said 'Yes.' However, at that moment I became suspicious and asked, 'Who are you?' When he couldn't say his name, I reacted, and the call ended," he explained.
"THEY CAN CREATE FAKE APPROVALS"
Eren pointed out that they can create fake approvals by cutting and pasting the word "yes" that comes out of the mouth, saying, "I later realized that these scammers can cut and paste the words 'yes' that come out of the mouth and use them wherever they want. For example, they can create a fake approval like the 'yes' answer I gave to the question, 'Did you take a loan of 550 thousand liras, do you accept?'" he said.
"BE CAREFUL NOT TO USE WORDS THAT INDICATE APPROVAL"
Halis Eren warned everyone to be careful after experiencing this incident, saying, "When you receive calls from unknown numbers, never say 'Yes'! Especially when a question is asked, be careful not to use words that indicate approval directly. Because just like what happened to me, they can misuse the word 'yes' that comes out of your mouth," he explained.
"I AM WAITING FOR THE COURT'S DECISION"
Eren recalled that the incident occurred while he was on vacation in Izmir, stating, "The prosecutor's office asked me to give a statement at the police station. After I gave my statement, they said, 'We will investigate and inform you.' Now I am waiting for the court's decision," he said.