The police have arrested two women suspected of a series of frauds with fake online loan ads. They offered loans to people with bad credit histories, but instead of helping them, they tricked them into transferring money that was never returned, the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Stara Zagora announced.
The operation was carried out in Sofia, Kyustendil, Burgas and the Lovech village of Rumyantsevo. It involved teams from the “Fraud“ sector at the “National Police“ General Directorate and the regional directorates in Stara Zagora, Lovech, Kyustendil and Burgas, under the leadership of the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Stara Zagora.
The two arrested – a 33-year-old woman from Kyustendil and a 68-year-old from Blagoevgrad – published ads on social networks, offering loans even to people with bad bank records. After potential clients showed interest, communication was transferred to chat applications, and then by phone.
The women assured applicants that in order to receive the loan, they first had to transfer an “approval fee” – a percentage of the amount – via money transfer. After receiving the money, the fraudsters cut off all contact.
During searches of three addresses in Kyustendil, Burgas and the village of Rumyantsevo, the police seized mobile phones, SIM cards, notes, notebooks and other evidence related to the criminal activity. The women were detained for up to 24 hours.
According to initial data, the victims of the scheme are over 30 people from different settlements. The investigation is ongoing to determine whether the two women are also connected to other similar scams.