Istanbul Prosecutor's Office Has Completed an Indictment Against a Global Cyber Gang Accused of Stealing Data Belonging to 20 Million People

The indictment, obtained by CNN Turk reporter Merve Tokaz, details how the group, known as Black Hat Hackers, breached systems including the MERNIS civil registry, the Public Health Management System, e-commerce platforms, and social media accounts. Tokaz explained the gang exploited server vulnerabilities with custom codes, deployed ransomware, and siphoned up to 26% of data from e-commerce sites, copying addresses and phone numbers. Proceeds were funneled into dormant accounts belonging to deceased or inactive individuals. The investigation was led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.