Married Retiree, Seeking Second Career, Thinks "Gigolo!"

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 11 March 2021)

Gigolo plague rivals COVID click here for a recent

TNT exposé on this relentless scam on helpless men.

           Still fit at 57, H.G. was ready for a second career.

H.G. (57!), married, retired and the father of one child, got this

message on his cellphone: "Do you want to be a gigolo?"  H.G.

clicked on the attached link and soon after he received a call

from someone telling him that he could meet women and make

lots of money.  At first, H.G. declined the offer but he was eventually

persuaded by the caller and said "OK".

The scammer gave H.G. a bank account number where he could

send his photos and membership fee of 3,000 TL (about $400).

After sending the money, H.G. received a photo of a woman "who

likes you.  You'll get 30,000 TL."  First, though, H.G. was told to

send an additional 4,500 TL for a COVID test and hotel expenses. (!)

H.G. dutifully sent the additional money but never heard back from

anyone.  Reluctantly, H.G. went to the police station and filed a 

complaint.  Police checked the account that H.G. had sent the money

to and arrested İsmail E. (27), who had used this same method to 

scam 20 other men out of 160,000 TL.  İsmail E. was interrogated and

jailed.

 

Gigolo recruiter İsmail E. contemplating his next 

entrepreneurial venture.