Another Tragedy That Saying "I Don't Speak Turkish" Could Have Averted

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 6 October 2021) 

one English phrase click here for the English phrase

that could have saved Mehmet bey.

They've started taking English lessons...but have separate

teachers. 

About three years ago Mehmet Duvar was hoodwinked out of 89,000 TL 

(about $9,500) and afterwards, he and his wife Dudu Duvar stopped 

talking to each other.  However, Mehmet bey again fell victim to 

scammers the day before yesterday, losing 15,000 TL to callers who 

promised to find those had swindled him three years ago. (!)

Mehmet bey (71) and Dudu hanım (65), the parents of four children,

live a modest life in Isparta.  But three years ago their lives were turned

upside down by two people who came to their house, claiming to be

treasure hunters (!).  They told Mehmet bey that they would share a 

45 million TL fortune with him and swindled him out of 89,925 TL. 

Taking legal action, Mehmet bey tried to recover his money but, at the

same time, Dudu hanım became cross and the two stopped talking to

each other.  Dudu hanım began living by herself on the upper floor 

of their house and Mehmet bey on the ground floor.  

The day before yesterday, someone called Mehmet bey and told him

that "we're tracking the people who hoodwinked you three years ago."

So Mehmet bey got 15,000 TL in credit from a bank, which he promptly

lost to the scammer.  Police are trying to capture one S.A., who 

withdrew the 15,000 TL in Bursa. 

A downhearted Mehmet bey lamented that "they say that a person 

won't let a snake bite him twice but I wasn't wise enough to heed 

that.  I still don't know how I let those guys bamboozle me.  I'm

already heavily in debt and now I've got this 15,000 plus interest

hanging over my head.  I feel like punching myself when I think

about it."

Mehmet bey said that Dudu hanım is as yet unaware of this latest

incident (!).