Advance Fee Scams in Turkey
How advance fee fraud — including fake inheritance and prize schemes — targets Turkish residents and expatriates.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Advance fee scams continue to circulate in Turkey through SMS, email, and WhatsApp, promising large windfalls that require a small upfront payment to unlock. Variants include fake inheritance notifications from distant relatives, unclaimed lottery prizes from foreign draws, and government grant programmes that request a processing fee before disbursement.
Turkish consumers are targeted both as the intended victims of these schemes and, increasingly, as unwitting money mules asked to forward funds on behalf of the scammer. The cross-border nature of the fraud — operators frequently work from abroad — complicates recovery of funds.
How this scam works on Turkey
Victims in Turkey typically receive a message claiming they are entitled to a share of a large estate held by a deceased foreigner, or that their national ID has been selected for a government stimulus payment. The messages are often written in convincing formal Turkish with plausible-sounding references to real institutions.
Once the victim responds, they are asked for identification documents and a small fee to cover legal paperwork, taxes, or banking charges. Each payment is followed by a new demand — funds are 'almost released' but another obstacle has arisen. The promised sum never materialises.
Some scammers target Turkish small business owners with fake contract advance-fee schemes — claiming a large international contract is available but requires a performance bond payment first.
Common red flags
- Message claiming you are entitled to an inheritance or prize from an unknown person or organisation
- Request for personal ID documents before any official communication has been established
- Fee described as fully refundable once the large sum is released
- Contact through non-official email addresses or personal WhatsApp numbers posing as lawyers or government officials
- Sense of urgency — the opportunity will expire unless fees are paid by a specific date
How to protect yourself
- Understand that no legitimate inheritance or prize requires upfront fee payment from the beneficiary
- Never send identification documents to an unverified third party — these enable identity theft
- Call any referenced government ministry directly on its official number to verify the offer
- Discuss unexpected windfalls with a lawyer before responding to any claim
- Report suspicious messages to the Turkish Consumer Arbitration Committee and police
How to report it
- Report to the Cybercrime Department of the Turkish National Police with screenshots and contact details
- Notify the Consumer Arbitration Committee (Tüketici Hakem Heyeti) if a business was impersonated
- Forward scam SMS messages to your mobile carrier's fraud reporting shortcode
Frequently asked questions
I received a message saying I am the beneficiary of a deceased foreigner's estate. Could it be real?
Genuine inheritance claims are always initiated through formal legal channels — a notary, a solicitor's office, or a court — never through unsolicited WhatsApp messages. If you genuinely believe there may be a connection, consult a Turkish inheritance lawyer who can verify the claim through official records without requiring you to pay anyone upfront.