Dear Students,
Recently, there has been a significant increase in incidents—such as fraud, illegal betting, and the laundering of proceeds from drug trafficking—involving the use of university students’ bank accounts and digital wallets by third parties. Knowingly and willingly allowing others to use bank accounts or digital wallets registered in your name—under pretexts such as “earning a commission,” “assistance with debt repayment,” “one-time use,” “harmless money transfer,” or similar reasons—may entail criminal and civil liability under the Turkish Penal Code and relevant legislation. As the account holder, you may be held responsible for transactions conducted through your accounts, regardless of who actually performed the transaction.
Allowing others to use your accounts may lead to judicial investigations and prosecutions, the creation of a criminal record, your classification by banks as a “high-risk customer,” restrictions on your bank accounts, the rejection of loan and credit card applications, the imposition of judicial control measures (including travel bans), and compensation lawsuits filed by victims. In such situations, explanations such as “I didn’t know,” “I wanted to help,” or “I was merely an intermediary” may not offer legal protection.
It is crucial that you reject any offers—whether from acquaintances or strangers—that promise financial gain in exchange for sharing account details or IBANs, and that you immediately report any suspicious situations to security authorities.
