{
  "id": 8253901,
  "title": "Turkey busts Israel-linked 'scam empire' behind alleged $266m fraud",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/turkey-busts-israel-linked-scam-empire-behind-alleged-266m-fraud",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T13:40:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Middle East Eye",
    "slug": "middle-east-eye",
    "url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-busts-israel-linked-scam-empire-behind-alleged-266-million-dollar-fraud"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Turkish authorities have dismantled an alleged $266 million fraud scheme linked to Israel, according to Justice Minister Akin Gurlek. The operation, dubbed \"Scam Empire,\" targeted 42 call centers across 28 companies and involved 239 suspects. The raids, coordinated with Turkish intelligence and Interpol, took place in Istanbul and Mugla. The network allegedly defrauded victims across Europe, the Far East, and Africa, with individual losses ranging from $10,000 to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The fraudsters used forged documents and false identities, often employing Hebrew within the offices to avoid detection. The network recruited victims through customer service representatives who spoke multiple languages and showed fabricated profits on investment platforms. Turkish officials believe the perpetrators moved their operations to Turkey to evade detection, especially amid strained relations between Turkey and Israel.",
  "summary": "Turkey busts Israel-linked 'scam empire' behind alleged $266m fraud Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Fri, 09/18/2026 - 13:29 Dawn raids coordinated with Turkish intelligence and Interpol targeted an operation accused of defrauding victims across three continents Turkish anti riot police officers in Istanbul during a demonstration on 8 September 2025 (Kemal Aslan/AFP) Off Turkish security forces busted…",
  "key_points": [
    "Turkish authorities dismantle $266 million fraud scheme linked to Israel.",
    "Operation \"Scam Empire\" targets 42 call centers across 28 companies.",
    "Network defrauded victims across Europe, Far East, and Africa."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}