A group of scammers in Turkey's Tunceli region allegedly defrauded citizens out of $1.32 million in an elaborate scam involving fake ancient treasure maps. The suspects apparently traveled to villages giving out the maps and encouraged citizens to search for the treasures.
Of course, the "ancient artifacts" were junk that that the scammers buried in advance. Once the citizens discovered the booty, the scammers introduced them to a pretend priest who informed that "the found objects could not be sold in Turkey, but that there was a demand for them abroad," reports Zamin.
"He also demanded a certain amount of money in exchange for selling them and finding a reliable buyer."
Following reports from suspicious citizens, police arrested more than two dozen people. They're currently on trial for fraud.
Previously:
• Woman hired treasure hunter who found a rumored $46,000 hidden in her family's home for 50 years
• Treasure hunter dug 130-feet-deep hole in his kitchen seeking pot of gold but fell to his death
• Treasure hunters have re-discovered a long lost piece of Henry VIII's crown
