Hatice Kesgin
31 May 2016•Update: 31 May 2016
IZMIR, Turkey
Police have broken a bank card skimming ring targeting Chinese tourists in Izmir province on Turkey’s Aegean coast, a security source said Tuesday.
The gang “skimmed” the bank details of around 3,000 tourists from China and Taiwan who used ATMs while in Turkey, the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
On Tuesday, 81 Chinese and Taiwanese suspects were arrested for fraud. Four children and 10 women were among those seized.
The scam included setting up call centers to contact the victims after they returned home in a bid to extract money from them.
In a raid on a house in Urla, around 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of Izmir, police found numerous pocket-sized skimming devices as well as mobile phones, laptops and call center equipment, the source said.
The suspects were taken to the Izmir Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch while the children were referred to court.
It was not clear how long the gang had been operating in Turkey.
