Foreign Investor Defrauded Through a Fake Property Investment Scheme in Turkey: What to Do (2026 Updated Guide)

A foreign investor loses money through a fake property investment scheme in Turkey. Learn how to file a criminal complaint, trace payments, seek asset freezes, challenge fraudulent transfers and pursue recovery.

Foreign investors purchasing property in Turkey may encounter sophisticated fraud schemes involving fake projects, properties that do not exist, unauthorized sellers, forged documents, false title deed representations, fraudulent investment advisers or promises that a property purchase will automatically produce residence or citizenship rights. When substantial funds have already been transferred, the priority should be preserving evidence, tracing the money, preventing disposal of assets and coordinating criminal and civil recovery measures as quickly as possible. Waiting for the seller or intermediary to “solve the problem” can allow money and property to be transferred to third parties.

How Do Fake Property Investment Schemes Work?

Property investment fraud can take many forms. A foreign investor may be shown a project that does not exist, a property may be sold by someone without authority, the same unit may be promised to several buyers, the property’s actual value may be substantially misrepresented or funds may be transferred to accounts unrelated to the real property owner.

Some schemes are considerably more organized and may involve several companies, intermediaries and bank accounts.

False Promises About Turkish Citizenship

Foreign investors should be particularly cautious when a property investment is marketed together with guaranteed citizenship.

A consultant, broker or seller cannot independently guarantee the outcome of a citizenship application. If false representations concerning investment eligibility were deliberately used to obtain money, those statements can become important evidence in a subsequent fraud investigation.

Fake Residence Permit Promises

Similar problems can arise when an investor is told that purchasing a particular property guarantees a residence permit.

Immigration consequences and the validity of the underlying property transaction should be investigated separately.

The Property May Not Exist

Some victims transfer deposits for apartments presented through photographs, architectural drawings or online advertisements without independently confirming the project’s legal and physical status.

The first investigation should therefore establish whether the identified property or project actually exists and whether the seller has legal rights over it.

Check the Title Deed Records

The investor should determine who legally owns the property and whether there are mortgages, attachments, annotations or other restrictions affecting it.

A sales contract alone does not necessarily establish ownership.

Was the Seller Actually the Owner?

Fraudsters may claim to act for an owner without having valid authority.

Where a power of attorney was used, its authenticity and scope should be examined carefully.

Forged Powers of Attorney

A fake or manipulated power of attorney can turn what appears to be an ordinary property dispute into a criminal investigation involving forged documents and fraud.

The original document, notarial information and transaction history should be preserved.

Fake Title Deed Documents

A document shown to the foreign buyer may resemble an official title deed while containing false or altered information.

The investor should verify ownership through the appropriate official records rather than relying on a photograph or PDF supplied by the seller.

The Same Property May Have Been Sold to Several Investors

Multiple-sale schemes can involve deposits or full purchase prices collected from several foreign buyers for the same apartment.

If other victims exist, identifying them can help reveal whether the conduct was an organized fraudulent scheme rather than an isolated contractual disagreement.

Fraud or Ordinary Contractual Dispute?

This distinction is extremely important.

Not every failed property transaction constitutes criminal fraud. A construction delay, contractual breach or inability to complete a sale may produce civil liability without necessarily establishing fraud.

Criminal allegations generally require examination of the deceptive conduct, intention and circumstances existing when the money was obtained.

Preserve Evidence Immediately

Do not delete messages or allow communication records to disappear.

Preserve contracts, receipts, bank transfers, advertisements, brochures, photographs, emails, WhatsApp conversations, voice messages, company documents, powers of attorney and any citizenship or investment promises.

Keep the Original Electronic Evidence

Screenshots are useful, but original electronic records can be more valuable.

Preserve devices and original conversations where possible, together with dates, telephone numbers and account information.

Prepare a Payment Timeline

Create a chronological record showing every payment.

For each transfer, record the date, amount, currency, sending bank, recipient account, recipient name and stated payment purpose.

This can substantially improve the efficiency of asset tracing.

Identify Every Recipient Account

Do not focus only on the company named in the sales agreement.

Fraud schemes may direct payments to shareholders, employees, relatives, consultants or unrelated companies.

Every recipient should be identified.

What If Payment Was Made in Cryptocurrency?

Preserve wallet addresses, transaction hashes, exchange records and communications concerning the payment.

Crypto transfers may create additional tracing difficulties, making early preservation of transaction information particularly important.

Filing a Criminal Complaint in Turkey

Where the available evidence indicates fraudulent conduct, the foreign investor may file a criminal complaint with the competent Turkish authorities.

The complaint should present the transaction chronologically and distinguish concrete deceptive acts from general dissatisfaction with the investment.

A Detailed Complaint Is Better Than a General Accusation

Instead of simply stating “I was defrauded,” identify who made each representation, when it was made, why it was false, what payment followed and where the money went.

This allows investigators to understand the alleged mechanism.

Request Preservation of Financial Evidence

Bank and financial records can be essential for tracing proceeds.

Where legally justified, investigative authorities may obtain financial information that a private individual cannot access directly.

Can Bank Accounts Be Frozen?

Depending on the evidence, alleged offence and applicable criminal procedure, protective measures concerning assets may potentially become relevant.

However, an asset freeze is not automatic merely because a criminal complaint has been filed.

The request should be supported with concrete evidence showing why urgent protection is necessary.

Timing Can Determine Whether Recovery Is Possible

If money remains in an identifiable account, early intervention can be critical.

Once funds are transferred through multiple accounts, converted into other assets or moved abroad, recovery may become substantially more difficult.

Real Estate Owned by the Suspect Should Be Investigated

If the suspected fraudster owns real estate, vehicles, company shares or other assets, available protective civil or criminal measures should be evaluated.

The objective is to prevent a successful judgment from becoming commercially meaningless because all assets have disappeared.

Can the Investor Request an Injunction?

Depending on the nature of the civil claim and evidence, interim protection concerning disputed property or other assets may potentially be available.

The appropriate remedy depends on whether the investor seeks transfer of the property, repayment of money, damages or another form of relief.

Fraudulent Property Transfers Should Be Investigated

If the suspect begins transferring assets to relatives, related companies or other persons after receiving the investor’s money, those transactions should be examined carefully.

The legal remedy depends on the nature of the transfer and the investor’s underlying claim.

Civil Recovery Should Not Automatically Wait for the Criminal Case

A common mistake is assuming that no recovery action can occur until the criminal investigation finishes.

Depending on the facts, civil remedies may need to be considered independently and in parallel.

Can the Investor Recover the Purchase Price?

Potentially. The appropriate legal basis depends on the transaction, contractual documentation, validity of the sale and nature of the fraudulent conduct.

The investor should document the full amount actually paid.

Can Additional Damages Be Claimed?

Potential claims may extend beyond the original transfer depending on the circumstances and legal basis.

However, additional losses must be proved. Unsupported estimates of future profit are generally much harder to recover than documented direct losses.

What If the Property Was Purchased at an Artificially Inflated Price?

An inflated valuation does not automatically establish fraud.

The investigation should examine who prepared the valuation, what representations were made, whether parties coordinated to mislead the investor and whether false information induced the purchase.

Fake Valuation Reports

If the investor suspects that a valuation report was forged or manipulated, preserve the document and investigate its origin.

Do not alter or annotate the original evidence.

Fraud by a Real Estate Agent or Consultant

The legal position of the property owner and intermediary should be analyzed separately.

An intermediary’s fraudulent representation does not automatically mean every participant in the transaction shared criminal intent.

Fraud Through a Company

The fact that payments were made to a company does not prevent investigation of individuals who allegedly participated in fraudulent conduct.

The roles of shareholders, directors, employees and intermediaries should be examined individually.

Company Records Can Be Important

Corporate ownership, management history, registered address and changes in directors can help identify whether the investment vehicle was genuinely operating or created primarily to collect investor funds.

Multiple Related Companies Are a Warning Sign

Some schemes move money between several related entities.

Prepare a diagram showing the seller, developer, consultant, recipient bank accounts and other companies involved.

Foreign Investor Should Avoid Further Payments

If serious fraud indicators have emerged, do not transfer additional funds merely because the seller claims that another payment is required to release the property or recover previous funds.

Any further demand should be independently verified.

Be Careful With “Refund Agreements”

A suspected fraudster may offer a repayment protocol to prevent a criminal complaint.

Such an agreement should be reviewed carefully, particularly if it requires the investor to waive existing rights before receiving actual payment.

Do Not Surrender Original Documents

Original contracts, receipts and evidence should be preserved.

If documents must be submitted to an authority, appropriate copies and records of submission should be maintained.

What If the Suspect Leaves Turkey?

The investigation does not necessarily end because a suspect travels abroad.

International elements may complicate service, evidence gathering and enforcement, making early identification of domestic assets especially important.

What If the Money Was Sent Abroad?

Cross-border recovery can be more complicated and may require analysis of the destination country, recipient account and available international procedures.

The Turkish investigation should nevertheless identify the payment route as completely as possible.

Interpreter Rights Matter

A foreign complainant who does not speak Turkish should ensure that statements and important procedural documents are accurately understood.

Incorrect interpretation can create serious factual discrepancies in a fraud investigation.

Do Not Sign a Statement You Do Not Understand

Before signing a police or prosecutorial statement, the foreign investor should confirm that names, dates, amounts, bank accounts and allegations have been recorded correctly.

Corrections should be requested before signature.

Power of Attorney From Abroad

A foreign investor who has returned to another country may often be able to authorize a Turkish lawyer through an appropriately prepared power of attorney.

The exact formalities should be checked according to the country where the document is issued and the proceeding in Turkey.

Citizenship Application and Fraud Case Should Be Separated

If the investment was connected with a citizenship application, the immigration consequences should be reviewed independently.

Starting a criminal case against a seller does not automatically resolve problems concerning the investment requirement or citizenship file.

Review the Investor’s Entire Property File

The investigation should include the sales contract, title records, valuation documents, bank transfers, powers of attorney, tax records and other documents relating to the property.

A fraud case is much stronger when the complete transaction can be reconstructed.

What If the Investor Already Received a Title Deed?

Fraud can still occur even where title was transferred.

The dispute may concern the property’s identity, legal restrictions, true value, hidden encumbrances or representations connected with the investment.

What If the Property Was Never Transferred?

The investor should evaluate both recovery of money and any potential rights concerning transfer of the property.

The appropriate strategy depends heavily on the contract and legal status of the property.

Limitation Periods Should Not Be Ignored

Both criminal and civil claims can be subject to time limits.

Foreign investors should not delay action merely because negotiations with the seller are continuing.

Immediate Action Plan

A foreign investor who suspects a fake property investment scheme in Turkey should immediately preserve all communications and documents, verify title records, identify the real owner, prepare a complete payment timeline, identify every recipient account, preserve electronic and banking evidence, investigate the companies and individuals involved, evaluate a criminal complaint, consider urgent asset-protection measures and assess civil recovery proceedings without unnecessarily waiting for the criminal case to finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

I transferred money but never received the property. Is this automatically fraud?

No. Failure to complete a property transaction can constitute a contractual dispute. Fraud requires examination of the deceptive conduct and intention surrounding the transaction.

Can a foreign investor file a criminal complaint in Turkey?

Yes. Foreign nationality does not prevent a victim from seeking protection through the Turkish criminal justice system.

Can the suspect’s bank account be frozen?

Potentially, where the legal requirements for an applicable protective measure are satisfied. Filing a complaint alone does not automatically freeze accounts.

Can the investor recover money while the criminal investigation continues?

Potentially. Civil recovery options should be evaluated independently rather than automatically waiting for completion of the criminal proceeding.

What if the seller used a fake power of attorney?

The authenticity and scope of the document should be investigated immediately. Forged documentation can materially change the criminal and civil aspects of the case.

What if the money was transferred to several people?

Every recipient should be identified. Multiple accounts can be important evidence concerning the structure of the alleged scheme.

Can WhatsApp messages be used as evidence?

Electronic communications can be important evidence. Original records should be preserved rather than relying solely on isolated screenshots.

What if the investment was made for Turkish citizenship?

The fraud and citizenship consequences should be analyzed separately. A fraudulent property transaction may also create problems concerning whether the underlying investment satisfies the relevant citizenship requirements.

Should the investor continue negotiating with the seller?

Negotiations may continue where appropriate, but they should not cause the investor to lose procedural rights or allow assets and evidence to disappear.

What is the most important first step?

Preserve the evidence and trace the money immediately. In property investment fraud cases, the ability to recover funds often depends not only on proving the fraud but also on identifying where the money and other recoverable assets are before they are transferred further.

Client-Focused Legal Support for Foreign Investors Defrauded in Turkey

Fırat Fesih Kaya Law Office assists foreign investors facing suspected property investment fraud, forged documents, fake real estate projects, unauthorized sales, fraudulent citizenship investment schemes and misappropriation of purchase funds in Turkey. Lawyer Fırat Fesih Kaya provides legal assistance in preparing criminal complaints, tracing the transaction structure, protecting evidence, evaluating asset-freezing and interim measures, coordinating criminal and civil proceedings and pursuing recovery of investment funds.

Phone: +90 312 434 22 22

Mobile: +90 532 769 22 22

Email: info@firatfesihkaya.av.tr

Address: Mevlana Boulevard No:221, Yıldırım Tower, Office No:148, 06520 Balgat, Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey