Bizarre way man who scammed entire country out of $130,000,000 using mobile game was caught by police after years on the run
A man who scammed an entire country out of $130 million was caught in a bizarre way after spending years on the run.
The man was the brains behind a simple mobile farming game where you could run your own farm, with cows, chickens and goats.
The app became a huge hit in Turkey, where people could use in-app coins to buy livestock and build their game.
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They were also able to purchase things with real money and earn gold bars to exchange them for real money that they could withdraw.
However, what started off as an innocent game, where users could invest their money in virtual livestock to automatically invest in real farms, turned into an enormous scam.
The true nature of the app became clear in 2017 when, after around $250 million had reportedly been invested, people started having issues with withdrawing their money.
And the man behind the game, Mehmet Aydın, sold his shares suddenly.
A month later, Çiftlik Bank suspended accepting new users and it also stopped paying out any profits.
Authorities broke the news in March 2018 that the app was a scam and a criminal investigation was launched.
But the scandal turned into a global manhunt after Aydın fled to Uruguay with millions of dollars.
He didn’t exactly lay low though, and was seen driving around in his Ferrari.
But it wasn’t until 2021 when the fugitive bizarrely handed himself in to authorities.
Releasing a video before his arrest, Aydın said: “When I started this project, my goal was to ensure that people who use our game platform can both play games and benefit from the money our company has allocated for its advertising budget, thereby earning additional income.
“I have never had the intention or attempt to harm or defraud anyone. The game platform we established was loved and adopted by you. With the strength we get from you, we have made investments in dealerships, meat, milk, honey and egg facilities in 81 provinces of Turkey.
“However, in the recent period, the company has grown too much, and I noticed the ill-intentioned people around it making and trying to make unfair profits late due to the size of the company, so I, like you, have been a victim.
“I did my best during the time I was abroad to resolve the grievances, but I could not achieve any results due to the investigations, prosecutions, and arrest warrants filed against me.
“I will surrender myself to the Turkish judiciary of my own free will to prove my innocence and my victimization. At this point, I have no doubt that we will find the truth and the decision that the Turkish judiciary will make.”
The fraudster has now been flown back to Turkey where he is facing a total of 89,000 years in prison.
Strangely, while Aydın had left with $80.5 million, he returned to Istanbul with just $13 in his wallet.