Istanbul Chief Prosecutor: Visa Appointment Locked with Bot Sold for 300 Euros

The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crime Investigation Bureau conducted simultaneous operations across 8 provinces against suspects who locked the visa appointment system with automated software (bot) and sold appointments for 300 euros; detention orders were issued for 60 people. WhatsApp correspondence of the suspects was seized.

The investigation determined that companies and individuals obtained money from citizens through social media by promising 'guaranteed visas' and 'guaranteed appointments,' and did not refund fees when services were not provided. The Chief Prosecutor's Office determined that this network was being continued by a new group that took advantage of the market gap created following the initial operation in August.

The investigation was expanded to include qualified fraud, unlawful seizure of personal data, cybercrime offenses, and money laundering. MASAK investigations and HTS records were also deployed.

The first wave had been dismantled in the August operation; now the second network attempting to fill that gap has come within the scope of the investigation. The personal data of citizens struggling to find visa appointments and who previously resorted to such intermediaries is also at risk.