Istanbul Police Department's Anti-Cyber ​​Crime Branch seized assets worth 14.3 billion lira in the fight against cyber fraud and illegal betting in 2025-2026.

While crime methods are moving to the digital environment with the development of technology, cyber police teams carry out technical monitoring, digital analysis and virtual patrol activities on a 24/7 basis in the fight against crimes committed on the internet.

Teams work to identify criminal suspects and reveal criminal networks by examining digital traces ranging from social media platforms to websites, messaging applications to bank and crypto accounts.

Cyber ​​fraud, illegal betting and gambling, proceeds of crime, online child abuse and cyber crimes are fought through different offices within the Istanbul Police Department's Anti-Cyber ​​Crimes Branch, and virtual patrol teams proactively monitor the internet environment.

In addition to denunciations and complaints, digital evidence and financial movements are evaluated together in the investigations initiated in line with the teams' own findings. Thus, it is aimed to reach not only the perpetrator of the crime, but also the organization behind it and the income obtained from the crime.

Hundreds of suspects caught in cyber fraud

Cyber fraud is one of the main areas where the cyber police work intensively.

Social media accounts, websites, bank transactions and digital materials are examined in investigations regarding fake shopping ads, investment fraud, phishing, account takeover and fraud methods pretending to be different institutions or individuals.

During the operations carried out by the teams in 2025, 619 suspects were detained and 449 of the suspects were arrested by the judicial authorities.

This year, 22 separate operations were carried out against cyber fraud networks.

7 of the operations were carried out against fraudulent call centers and financial offices established by local and foreign criminal organizations and operating on an international scale.

In this context, simultaneous operations were carried out against 13 different qualified fraud gangs.

As a result of technical analysis and financial investigations, precautionary measures were implemented for assets considered to have been obtained from crime. In this context, 4 companies, 15 fuel stations and 1 foreign exchange office were seized.

Confiscation measures were also taken on assets worth approximately 4 billion lira.

This year, 348 of the suspects who were referred to judicial authorities as a result of cyber fraud operations were arrested, 200 were released on condition of judicial control, and 89 were released after their procedures at the police station upon the instruction of the prosecutor's office. In addition, 27 foreign national suspects were deported and 4 suspects were placed under house arrest.

Operations against illegal betting networks

Another important area where the cyber police worked was illegal betting activities carried out on the internet.

In 2025, 13 operations were carried out against illegal betting by the Anti-Cyber ​​Crimes Branch Directorate teams. During the operations, 504 suspects were detained and 266 of them were arrested. 152 of the suspects were released on condition of judicial control, and 86 were released upon the decision of the prosecutor's office after their procedures at the police station.

20 suspects were detained in 16 operations against those advertising betting. While 3 of the suspects were arrested, 12 were released on condition of judicial control and 5 were released after their procedures at the police station.

148 suspects were detained in 27 operations against foreign financial houses. 102 of the suspects were arrested, 34 of them were released on condition of judicial control, and 12 of them were released after their procedures at the police station.

142 suspects were detained in "money laundering" operations regarding the value and assets obtained from illegal betting. 48 of the suspects were arrested, 42 of them were released on condition of judicial control. A total of 52 suspects were released after their procedures at the police station.

As a result of the analysis and operational work of the cyber police, assets worth 8 billion 740 million 371 thousand liras were seized in 2025, in line with the requests of the judicial authorities.

The fight against illegal betting continued in 2026

This year, 255 suspects were detained in 12 operations against illegal betting.

188 of the suspects were arrested, 54 were released on condition of judicial control, and 13 were released after their procedures at the police station.

8 suspects who were detained in 2 separate operations against those advertising betting were arrested. 61 suspects were caught in 17 operations against foreign financial houses. While 49 of the suspects were arrested, 11 were released on condition of judicial control and 1 was released after being processed at the police station.

This year, 137 suspects were detained in "money laundering" operations regarding the value and assets obtained from illegal betting. 68 of the suspects were arrested, 62 were released on condition of judicial control, and 7 were released after being processed at the police station.

As a result of the work carried out by the teams this year, assets worth 5 billion 652 million 561 thousand 867 liras were seized.

Measures against assets worth 14.3 billion lira

The cyber police's fight against illegal betting focuses not only on catching suspects, but also on detecting the proceeds of crime.

In the last 2 years, 103 operations were carried out against illegal betting activities within the scope of the "Law No. 7258 on the Regulation of Betting and Games of Chance in Football and Other Sports Competitions" as well as assets obtained from crime.

As a result of the operations, arrest measures were taken against 732 suspects, and measures were taken against the suspects' assets worth 14 billion 392 million 932 thousand 867 liras, including companies, movable and immovable assets, bank and crypto accounts. In addition, access to the URL addresses of 150 thousand 795 illegal betting sites was blocked.

"Hunter" follows social media groups

Taking advantage of technological opportunities in the fight against illegal betting, the Cyber Crimes Department teams use the "Hunter" program developed with artificial intelligence support.

In this way, crime detection is made by accessing the suspects' social media groups.

Within the scope of combating cybercrimes, awareness-raising activities are also carried out to prevent crimes before they occur.

With the SİBERAY project, carried out under the coordination of the General Directorate of Security, Department of Combating Cyber ​​Crimes, trainings are organized for students, teachers, parents, public institutions, private sector employees and different segments of the society. These activities aim to raise awareness on issues such as safe internet use, cyber bullying, digital addiction, cyber fraud, illegal betting and protection of personal data.

Evaluation of crime methods from the cyber police

Yusuf Işıkyol, the team chief police officer at the Cyber Fraud Bureau of the Cyber Crimes Branch Directorate, said that they are carrying out studies to prevent and detect crimes committed using information systems and to refer the perpetrators to judicial authorities.

Stating that there are "Fighting Against Online Fraud", "Fighting Against Online Illegal Betting and Gambling", "Fighting Proceeds of Crime", "Fighting Against Online Child Exploitation", "Fighting and Prevention of Computer Crimes (Virtual Patrol)" offices within the branch directorate, Işıkyol said, "Through these offices, we evaluate denunciations and complaints about crimes committed on the internet, examine digital evidence, identify criminal elements and carry out operational work within the scope of the investigations carried out." "We also carry out activities to prevent crime before it occurs by proactively monitoring the internet environment with our virtual patrol activities." he said.

Işıkyol explained that cyber fraud crimes are one of the areas where the branch works most intensively.

Noting that social media accounts, websites, bank transactions and digital materials used in fraud crimes were examined in detail within the scope of the investigations, Işıkyol stated that operations were organized to reveal criminal networks, identify and capture suspects in line with the findings.

Işıkyol said that fake shopping advertisements, investment fraud, phishing, account takeover activities and methods of presenting themselves as different institutions or individuals are used in cyber fraud cases, and that technical and judicial studies are carried out in coordination with the relevant units and judicial authorities.

Stating that 56 suspects were caught in the operation against foreign call center fraud this year, Işıkyol said that arrest warrants were issued for 45 suspects.

Işıkyol stated that SİBERAY is an awareness and awareness activity aimed at preventing cyber crimes before they occur, under the coordination of the General Directorate of Security, Department of Combating Cyber ​​Crimes.

Proceeds of crime are traced to bank and crypto accounts

Engin Dali, a police officer who works as a team chief at the Crime Proceeds Bureau of the Cyber Crimes Branch Directorate, explained his work on illegal betting and crime proceeds.

Dali said, "In our country, it is a crime to run games of chance and betting in both virtual and physical environments without obtaining a license. In parallel with the developments in information and communication technologies, most of the illegal games of chance and betting have been moved to virtual environments." he said.

Stating that illegal betting, intermediation and advertising are crimes within the scope of the "Law No. 7258 on the Regulation of Betting and Games of Chance in Football and Other Sports Competitions", Dali said that measures are taken against assets obtained from crime.

Dali stated that the money obtained from illegal betting was collected in the virtual environment and transferred to crypto wallets, and that operations against foreign financial houses are continuing in this context, and said, "To give an example of the studies carried out, thanks to the 'Hunter' program developed with artificial intelligence, access was provided to the social media groups of the suspects and after the crime was detected, 138 suspects detected in 2026 were detained and an arrest warrant was issued for 104 people." gave the information.

Stating that the work against illegal betting and the assets obtained from it continues effectively, Dali said:

"During the 2025 and 2026 period, arrest measures were taken against 732 suspects as a result of 103 individual and planned operations, in the studies on illegal betting numbered 7258 and assets obtained from crime within the scope of TCK 282. 14 billion 392 million 932 thousand 867 liras, including companies, movable/immovable assets, bank-crypto accounts belonging to these suspicious persons. "As the Istanbul Police Department's Anti-Cyber Crimes Branch, our work against illegal betting and assets obtained within the scope of this crime continues effectively."