Fraud warning as e-Government age verification period begins on social media

While restrictions for users under 15 and the mandatory age verification via e-Government started on social media platforms, the Presidency's Directorate of Communications Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) and officials warned users against fraudulent activities using fake SMS and links.

The social media restriction for children under the age of 15 entered into force as of November 1. According to the regulation published in the Official Gazette, platforms will not be able to provide services to users under 15, and age confirmation will be carried out through the e-Government infrastructure. Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş had stated that those wishing to open an account would verify their age with a digital code obtained via e-Government, and in suspicious cases, accounts would be temporarily suspended and re-verification requested. In addition, user profiles between the ages of 15-18 will be kept private, and existing accounts must complete their age confirmation by March 31, 2027.

Attempting to use the new regulatory process for their own benefit, fraudsters are trying to capture personal information through fake text messages, emails, and social media links. DMM had previously issued warnings against fraudsters who direct users to fake sites with baseless statements such as "Your account will be closed" or "Do your age verification immediately". Officials emphasized that only the official e-Government address turkiye.gov.tr or the official mobile application should be used for age determination, and that content requesting passwords, SMS codes, or money should be disregarded.