Man loses 390,000 TL in social media car scam in North Cyprus

A Turkey-based social media scam in northern Cyprus has left a local resident, Salih Parçalar, defrauded of 390,000 TL. Parçalar fell victim after responding to a car advertisement he saw on Facebook.

The fraudster tricked both sides by posing as the seller to Parçalar and as the buyer to the actual vehicle owner, using stolen photos of the car to repost the advertisement online.

Following price negotiations, Parçalar agreed to purchase the car for 390,000 TL. He transferred the money in four installments to a Turkish bank account provided by the scammer. Shortly after receiving the funds, the fraudster cut off all communication.

When the real car owner refused to transfer the vehicle — as he had never received the payment — the deception came to light. Speaking about his loss, Parçalar said: “I completed the 390,000 TL with loans I took from friends and relatives. I’m in a very difficult situation. I don’t know how I will provide for my children and my family.”

Parçalar reported the incident to police, but says he was told that “at least two people come in every day with the same complaint, and due to limited cooperation with Turkey, it is very difficult to achieve results.”

Warning others not to fall into the same trap, Parçalar also appealed to authorities: “I wish we could receive help from our leaders. This issue must be addressed seriously.”