Sold Crypto on Binance P2P, Bank Account Frozen in Turkey: What to Do

How a Legitimate P2P Sale Becomes a Criminal File

In P2P trading, the platform holds your cryptocurrency in escrow until the buyer's payment is confirmed; you then release it directly to the buyer's wallet. The platform does not — and cannot — verify where the buyer's fiat currency actually came from. A common fraud pattern works like this: a scammer convinces a victim (often unconnected to crypto entirely) to send money "as an investment" or for some other pretext, directing the victim to transfer funds to your bank account — the account of a real, active P2P seller — instead of the scammer's own. You receive what looks like an ordinary buyer's payment and release the crypto as normal. The original victim later reports the fraud, the trail leads to your account, and your bank or the exchange freezes it while the matter is investigated.

Am I Criminally Liable for Money I Didn't Know Was Connected to Fraud?

Not automatically, and this is the single most important point to understand. Turkish courts assessing this type of case have consistently focused on two questions: did the account holder have knowledge or intent connecting them to the underlying fraud, and did they obtain a financial benefit beyond the legitimate P2P transaction itself? Where neither can be shown, receiving a payment that later turns out to be tainted is not, by itself, sufficient for a conviction. Turkish Penal Code Article 158/1-f (fraud committed using banks or credit institutions as a tool) and Article 158/4 — a 2026 amendment that specifically provides a reduced sentence where a person's involvement is limited to sharing account or card details — recognise that different participants in a chain of transactions carry very different levels of culpability.

What Protects a Genuine P2P Seller

The strength of your position depends almost entirely on the quality of your own records. Before responding to any inquiry, gather:

• The platform's order ID and full transaction history for the sale in question
• The complete in-app chat log with the buyer
• Records showing exactly when the crypto left escrow and was sent to the buyer's wallet
• Your bank statement showing the incoming payment and its stated reference
• Your broader P2P trading history, if you trade regularly — a consistent pattern of legitimate trading activity supports your account of events

A technical on-chain analysis report, tracing the cryptocurrency from your wallet forward, can also be valuable: it demonstrates objectively that you released the asset through the ordinary escrow mechanism rather than participating in laundering the proceeds of the fraud. This matters in practice because not every police officer or prosecutor handling the file will be familiar with how P2P escrow actually works, and a clear technical explanation, backed by records, often resolves the confusion faster than anything else.

The New CMK Article 128/A Rule Explicitly Covers Crypto Platforms

Since 25 December 2025, Turkish law (Article 128/A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, introduced by Law No. 7571) allows banks, payment institutions and — explicitly — crypto asset service providers to suspend an account for up to 48 hours where a defined list of cyber-enabled offences is suspected, without a prior court order. The suspension must be reported to a prosecutor within that window, who decides within 24 hours whether it continues; a judge must approve any further seizure within 48 hours or it lapses automatically. Crucially, you must be notified of the suspension, and you have the right to apply directly to the public prosecutor's office to have it lifted, with a decision due within 24 hours.

What If Both My Bank Account and My Exchange Account Are Frozen?

These are separate, independent decisions — a bank freezes an account under its own compliance process or a legal order, while an exchange or platform applies its own terms of service and compliance rules. Resolving one does not automatically resolve the other; each needs to be addressed with the relevant institution or, where a criminal file exists, through the same prosecutor's office.

If You Are Called In for a Statement

Bring your complete platform records, organised chronologically, and be prepared to explain the escrow mechanism clearly and simply — many investigators handling their first crypto-related file are not deeply familiar with it. Consistency matters: an account of events that lines up with your platform's own timestamped records is far more persuasive than a general assertion that you "did nothing wrong." Preparing this with a lawyer beforehand, rather than walking in unprepared, materially affects how the interview goes.

Related guide: Bank Account Frozen in Turkey: A Guide for Foreign Residents, Investors and Crypto Traders

Criminal Lawyer in Istanbul and Ankara for Crypto and P2P Cases

P2P freezes usually arise from a fraud complaint filed in the city where the victim was deceived, and a criminal case is in principle heard where the offence was committed (Article 12 of the Code of Criminal Procedure). A seller living in Istanbul may therefore be called to give a statement in Ankara or another city. A criminal lawyer in Turkey registered with a Turkish bar can attend statements and act before courts in every city.

We follow crypto and P2P files as a criminal lawyer in Istanbul and before the prosecutors and courts in Ankara. See our criminal lawyer in Turkey page, and Bank Account Frozen in Turkey for MASAK and bank-side freezes.

Could the Investigation End Without Charges?

Yes. Where the evidence shows no intent and no benefit beyond the legitimate transaction, the prosecutor can issue a decision that there are no grounds for prosecution, closing the matter without a trial. If you were subject to a seizure or similar measure and are later cleared, Turkish law allows a compensation claim (CMK Art. 141 et seq.), which must be filed with the Assize Court within three months of the clearing decision becoming final, and in any case within one year.