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A Turkish citizen has filed a criminal complaint against rapper Travis Scott at Istanbul's Caglayan Courthouse, alleging fraud over a ticketed event in which the artist spent approximately 20 minutes performing on stage.
The complaint adds legal weight to a growing wave of public criticism that surrounded the event, which drew widespread backlash on social media from attendees who expected a full concert.
TemaCC founder Taylan Ozcan pushed back against the criticism, arguing that the event was never designed as a conventional concert. Ozcan stated that the event was conceived from the outset as a special experience evening in which Scott would share the atmosphere with fans, and that ticket holders were informed it would be a "Hosted by Travis Scott" concept event, not a concert in the traditional sense.
According to Ozcan, Scott was present at the venue throughout the night, hosted the event for approximately one hour, and then delivered a live performance of roughly 20 minutes. TemaCC has maintained that the event was consistent with international standards for this format.
The event, held May 31 at Grand Factory Tersane Istanbul in the Beyoglu district, had been among the most anticipated music events of the season. Doors opened at 4 p.m., and the crowd endured approximately five hours of DJ sets before Scott took the stage around midnight, wearing dark glasses and a hood pulled over his head for the duration of his appearance.
Multiple attendees reported he did not sing much and rather performed in a DJ capacity. Tickets started at 25,000 lira and reached 60,000 lira for general admission, with VIP booths priced between 60,000 and 150,000 lira, figures that exceeded Türkiye's net monthly minimum wage of 28,075 lira. Despite the prices, pre-registration for the 2,500-capacity show drew some 52,000 applicants.
The most serious allegation circulating on Turkish social media goes beyond dissatisfaction with the show's length: a number of users have claimed the hooded, masked figure on stage was not Travis Scott at all. The claim has been amplified by the fact that the performer kept his face entirely covered for all 20 minutes, making visual identification impossible for those in attendance.
Separately, claims have emerged on X targeting a Travis Scott event in Izmir, with one user alleging that a legal loophole had been identified and that a look-alike was performing to a playback track, and that the organizing agency's practices would soon be exposed. Neither claim has been independently verified.
Some fans in Istanbul raised the possibility of a "fake Travis" outright, citing the covered face as their primary basis for suspicion.
What is established from multiple sources is that Scott was photographed and documented at the UEFA Champions League final in Budapest on May 30, the day before the Istanbul event, where he was filmed in conversation with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and posted an Instagram Story celebrating PSG's penalty-shootout victory.
He also hosted an afterparty in Budapest that same night. Travel time between Budapest and Istanbul is roughly two hours by air, meaning his presence in Istanbul the following evening was logistically feasible.
However, no independently verified footage or photographic evidence of Scott with his face uncovered at the Istanbul venue has emerged publicly, leaving the core question open in the absence of an official statement from Scott's team.
The speculation is, as yet, unverified social media conjecture. Scott's camp has not addressed it directly.
The controversy has widened ahead of Scott's scheduled appearance in Izmir on June 1, organized by Linda Agency at Kalt Izmir. Ticket prices for that event have ranged from $305 to $872. Given the backlash from Istanbul, the Izmir show faces heightened public scrutiny even before it takes place.
In Türkiye, as in many jurisdictions, fraud allegations in the context of entertainment events typically hinge on whether promotional materials materially misled consumers about the nature of what was being offered. The "Hosted by" format, while common in the United States and Europe for club and festival appearances, remains relatively unfamiliar to Turkish audiences, a gap that appears central to the dispute.
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