The municipality of Dupnitsa could have lost BGN 100,000 from its budget if it had not been exposed at the last moment attempted financial fraud. The scheme seems simple at first glance, but it turns out that its success was a matter of hours. Eventually, with the help of several institutions, the fraud was foiled.
It all started when the municipality of Dupnitsa received an email at one of their post offices.
„An email was received with a notification that the bank account of a counterparty with whom the municipality of Dupnitsa has contractual relations has been changed. I'd say it's an attempt to test the system. An unpleasant incident which, after the internal inspection ordered by me, showed that there was oversight, said Parvan Dangov, mayor of Dupnitsa.
The fake email is from a company that fulfills obligations under the Waste Management Act. After it stated information that the company's bank account had been changed, the municipality of Dupnitsa initiated a procedure for transferring the money. But scammers make a mistake that blocks the scam. The bank account from which BGN 100,000 was supposed to be diverted turned out to be frozen.
“It could have become a bigger problem. When the bank signaled and I had a phone call with the head of the company, with whom the previous management worked, he said that there was no such thing, that is, the request to change the account was not his initiative, the mayor explained. According to him, the person or persons who tried to divert municipal money were well prepared with information in advance.