Fraud warning over social media identity verification regulation

Taking advantage of the social media identity verification regulation issued by the Presidency's Directorate of Cybersecurity that came into effect on November 1, fraudsters are targeting citizens' e-Government passwords and financial information via fake messages and links.

The relevant regulation of the Presidency's Directorate of Cybersecurity was published in the Official Gazette on October 10. According to the regulation, citizens must verify their age via e-Government in order to open accounts on social media applications. While children under the age of 15 cannot use social media, children over 15 will be able to use social media under 'segregated service' conditions. Existing users are required to verify their age by March 31, 2027, and it is stated that unverified accounts will be closed.

Taking advantage of this process, fraudsters send SMS, e-mail, and social media links such as 'Your account will be closed' or 'Verify your age immediately'. Through these fake links, attempts are made to seize citizens' e-Government passwords, credit and debit card information, and other financial data. The Presidency's Center for Combating Disinformation (DMM) emphasized that only the official e-Government website or mobile application should be used for age verification procedures, and asked not to heed messages requesting passwords, SMS verification codes, bank card information, or fees.