Mehmet Aydın, the mastermind behind a mobile farming app called Farm Bank (Çiftlik Bank), scammed over 130,000 people out of around $250 million in Turkey. The app promised users they could invest real money into virtual livestock and earn cash returns, making it seem like they were supporting real farms. It became a national sensation, especially as Turkey’s agricultural sector struggled, and even had physical stores selling products with the Farm Bank logo.

However, by late 2017, users began having trouble withdrawing their money. Aydın suddenly sold his shares and the company stopped accepting new users or paying out profits. In March 2018, authorities revealed the app was a pyramid scheme, and a criminal investigation was launched. Aydın fled to Uruguay with millions, turning the scandal into a global manhunt.

Despite being a fugitive, Aydın didn’t hide quietly—he was seen driving luxury cars and living lavishly. In a bizarre twist, he released a video in 2021 claiming he never intended to defraud anyone and blamed the downfall on the company’s rapid growth and “ill-intentioned people.” He insisted he, too, was a victim and decided to surrender to Turkish authorities to “prove his innocence.”

He was arrested in São Paulo and extradited to Turkey, where he now faces up to 89,000 years in prison. Strangely, though he left with $80.5 million, he returned with just $13 in his wallet.

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