The Turkish prosecutor is demanding 88,000 years of imprisonment for Mehmet Aydın, the creator of the online farm game Farm Bank. He is accused of creating a financial pyramid scheme that harmed thousands of gamers.
Farm Bank
Aydın launched Farm Bank (original name — Çiftlik Bank) in 2016. It was created using the principles of FarmVille and other similar games: users expand their farm and raise virtual animals. The difference is that in Farm Bank, they did this with real money. The developer promised that their funds would be invested in constructing "the largest dairy farm in the world" for $185 million. Players were also guaranteed payment for the time spent playing the game.
Initially, the project seemed promising, and users actively donated to the game. However, in practice, it turned out to be a classic financial pyramid. Once the influx of funds from new participants stopped, many players lost their money.
The total damage from the scam exceeded $187 million, impacting over a hundred thousand people.
In 2021, Aydın was arrested on charges of money laundering, fraud, and creating a criminal organization. Along with him, 48 accomplices are also involved in this case.