And this year, hundreds of “knowledge dealers” are offering the answers to the matriculation exams in advance. The Bulgarian State Educational Service is already working on several signals.
Traditionally, weeks before the matriculation exams, thousands of offers flooded the groups of twelfth graders. This year, however, the scheme works in a new way - without phone calls, only with recommendations from satisfied customers and money transfers, through applications that are difficult to verify. The prices are between 250 and 500 leva, and the few traces in the fake profiles lead to the so-called mules, the Bulgarian State Educational Service tells NOVA.
May 19, 2 days before the matriculation exams. Hundreds of fake profiles are offering excellent results in exchange for money. The scheme is in the form of a classic scam.
„We understand how important it is to perform excellently on the matriculation exams and we are here to help. We offer verified answers. The media is trying to undermine our reputation in order to prevent the dissemination of our answers”, the offer reads. And the offers are also secured by satisfied customers. „Thank you very much for another year. We knew we could count on you”, say satisfied customers in the reviews.
This year the schemes are much different, the price has jumped dramatically, and the knowledge dealers are much more cautious. They work mainly through closed groups and telegram channels. They refuse phone calls so that they are not recorded.
“We ask all clients for complete confidentiality and seriousness, so that there are no problems for both you and us”, the messages read.
The scheme is such that 250 leva is paid for 100 points, and the answers are received 2 hours before the exam. Others sell the answers for 500 leva, guaranteeing their accuracy.
“This is about fraudsters who hope that people who are desperate and need help with the matriculation exams, who cheat them out of a few hundred leva, supposedly to send them the answers, but all this is a scam”, explained Commissioner Vladimir Dimitrov, Director of "Cybercrime", General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Prevention.
In recent weeks, special teams have been working on several signals of matriculation exam fraud. They say that the choice of the Telegram platform is not accidental.
„A huge part of the groups disappear. These groups are created in applications for encrypted communication, given the high degree of anonymity”, explained Commissioner Dimitrov.
The Ministry of Education responded as follows. „There has never been and there can be no leak of information. The measures that the ministry is taking are really serious. Only strictly regulated persons have access to the exam options in a certain hall. These are two people”, explained Emilia Lazarova, Deputy Minister of Education and Science.
We never received any answers, and some of the profiles were deleted. “Under our legislation, this is a computer crime and is punishable by 1-6 years”, Commissioner Dimitrov explained.
However, these frauds often remain undetected due to the caution of traders and the shame of those who rely on outsmarting the system.