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Sertac Tasdelen, the founder of the widely used fortune-telling apps Faladdin and Binnaz, was arrested Thursday on charges of laundering criminal proceeds through a digital system allegedly used for astrology and spiritual services.
Tasdelen is accused of establishing an online platform that provided paid services in fortune-telling, astrology, spiritualism, and related fields, and of transferring a portion of the income abroad, authorities said.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s Bureau of Crimes Involving Asset Laundering is leading the investigation, which alleges the creation of a digital network generating substantial illicit revenue through pseudo-spiritual services.
Following a medical examination and completion of procedures at the police station, Tasdelen was taken to the Istanbul Courthouse in Caglayan. After testifying before the prosecutor, he was referred to the criminal judgeship of peace, which ordered his formal arrest on the charge of “laundering assets derived from criminal activity.”
According to official reports from Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), the Ministry of Trade’s Advertising Board, and expert witnesses, Tasdelen allegedly operated an information system to deliver fortune-telling services in violation of Turkish law.
Authorities said income from the platform was partially funneled abroad. As part of the investigation, a court ordered the seizure of Tasdelen’s bank accounts, assets at electronic money institutions, vehicles, marine vessels, and his shares in Arteria Software Inc.
Prosecutors have accused him of multiple offenses, including violating the Law on the Closure of Dervish Lodges and Shrines and the Prohibition of Certain Titles, using prohibited devices and software, laundering proceeds of crime, and leading a criminal organization.
Police carried out simultaneous raids on two companies linked to the suspect, seizing seven computers, mobile phones, SIM cards, tablets, USB drives, external hard drives, and memory cards.
Faladdin, downloaded more than 25 million times worldwide, gained popularity as an AI-powered fortune-telling app. In a 2021 interview, Tasdelen said the company had grown without external investment and had ambitions to expand into artificial intelligence and health technologies.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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