A student's hopes of finishing university and a steady career have been shattered after he was sentenced to 16 years in prison for allowing a scammer friend to use his bank account for a GBP 400 transfer that he only later discovered was linked to fraud.
The case unfolded in Ankara, a city in Ankara Province, Turkey, following incidents that began with his arrest in 2022 after police found the scammer who stole GBP 419 from victims had used his account and culminated in court rulings reported on 1st February.
Court documents show that Ibrahim Dogan, 24, shared his IBAN bank account number with a friend, allowing the money to be transferred into the account and withdrawn on the friend’s behalf, prosecutors said.
Ibrahim Dogan poses with Fatma Dogan in undated photo. He was sentenced for fraud in Ankara, Turkey. Note: private photo. (Newsflash)
Investigators later determined the funds were linked to fraud offences, leading to four separate criminal cases being opened against Dogan, whose family paid the money back when they heard of what had happened.
Following the trials, the court handed down a combined sentence of 16 years in prison for Dogan who has been behind bars since 2024, having spent around a year and a half in custody.
The transactions reportedly took place several times after the friend claimed he did not have a bank card and asked Dogan to receive and withdraw money for him.
Dogan’s family said police later arrived at their home and summoned him to give a statement, at which point they learned the money was connected to fraud investigations.
Picture shows Fatma Dogan, undated. Her son was sentenced for fraud in Ankara, Turkey. Note: Picture is a screenshot from video. (Newsflash)
The sums involved were reported to consist of multiple small transfers paid into the account on different occasions.
Dogan's mother, Fatma, said: "His friend victimised many young people. My child is among them. He was thinking, 'I will finish my school, I will go to university.' His dreams were shattered.
"We found ourselves in this situation without knowing anything about police stations or courts.
"His life was ruined for a sum of TRY 25,000 [GBP 419]."
The friend alleged to have orchestrated the wider fraud scheme has also been arrested and is facing trial in a separate case involving numerous victims.
(Mike Leidig / Newsflash)