Turkish Ponzi Scheme Creator Sentenced to 45,000 Years in Prison

A Turkish court has sentenced Mehmet Aydin, the creator of the fraudulent mobile game Çiftlik Bank, to over 45,000 years in prison after orchestrating a massive Ponzi scheme.

Marketed as a virtual farming investment platform, the game convinced users they could profit from digital livestock linked to real-world agricultural assets.

More than 500,000 people, including 150,000 foreign investors, were caught in the scam before authorities shut it down and seized its assets.

Aydin fled to Uruguay, where he lived in luxury until being spotted driving a Ferrari, prompting an international manhunt. He later surrendered at the Turkish embassy in Brazil.

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During his trial, Aydin insisted he had no intention to defraud anyone and blamed asset seizures for his inability to repay victims.

His brother, also charged, denied involvement. Authorities estimate the scheme generated illicit profits of around $131 million.

Alexander Stefanov

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