Millions of dollars in money laundering through OnlyFans investigated in Turkey. 16 people were detained
OnlyFans, Photo: Dreamstime
Turkey detained 16 people and seized assets worth about 300 million pounds ($6.9 million) on Friday as part of an investigation into alleged money-laundering activities linked to content distributed on the OnlyFans platform, prosecutors said, cited by Reuters.
The probe, led by a department that investigates terrorist financing and money-laundering crimes, targeted 25 suspects and two companies in operations in eight provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya, the chief prosecutor's office in Istanbul said.
Prosecutors said the suspects generated revenue by sharing explicit content on social media and directing users to paid platforms, including OnlyFans and private messaging channels such as Telegram.
OnlyFans has been blocked in Turkey since June 7, 2023, following a decision by a court in Istanbul, on the grounds that it hosted content considered contrary to public morality and family values.
Prosecutors claim that, despite the ban, the suspects were found to have accessed the platform through virtual private networks (VPNs).
According to the public prosecutor's statement, the suspects laundered the income obtained through the purchase of goods, as well as through investments in bitcoin and gold.
Authorities have identified 10 properties, 14 vehicles and two companies associated with the suspects. The total value of the assets was estimated at around 300 million pounds. The prosecutor's office said the investigation is ongoing.
PHOTO: Dreamstime.com.
