A captivating yet deceptive narrative has unfolded in Istanbul, resembling a plot fit for the silver screen. Çiğdem Ilgün, a self-professed physics graduate, orchestrated a scheme that promised a groundbreaking solution while ultimately ensnaring unsuspecting victims in a web of fraud.
Presenting herself as a prominent physics engineer, İlgün initially portrayed herself to family and acquaintances as a distinguished academic, even asserting a position as a lecturer at Marmara University. Under the guise of a successful scientist, she embarked on a grand fabrication, asserting that she had conceived a revolutionary innovation – a chip christened "CAFA CHIP" – purportedly capable of preemptively quelling turbulence in aircraft.
According to her narrative, this ingenuity heralded a new era in aviation safety, as pilots would be alerted to approaching turbulence, allowing for rerouting and optimal safety measures. Her audacious claims were bolstered by a carefully orchestrated campaign, which she propagated on her Instagram account, fostering an air of credibility around her.
Ilgün took her audacious claims further, alleging that her anti-turbulence project had garnered significant interest from domestic and international companies, leading to a hefty investment of $150 million. Encouraged by the allure of substantial sums at stake, victims succumbed to her persuasive tactics and decided to invest their money in this ruse.
Luring investors with the promise of a 30 percent profit, İlgün cleverly exploited social media, continually posting financial updates to showcase supposed gains. Her web of deceit ensnared a diverse array of victims, including her own relatives, pilots, doctors, and engineers, ultimately amassing an illicit sum of approximately 20 million Turkish liras.
In a pattern emblematic of many fraud cases, Ilgün initially fulfilled her promise of dividend payments, seducing victims with short-term financial gains. However, when the time came for investors to reclaim their funds, her intricate facade began to unravel, revealing her deceptive charade.
