Frauds can reach significant scales and sometimes the loss of a certain amount of money is the least of what might happen to you. Investments with suspiciously high interest rates, as well as trades with extremely low prices, should be investigated in details before involving yourself in a risky financial situation.
Scammers aim to gain your trust by creating a sense of urgency and asking for a lot of personal and financial information. They use various schemes such as special offers on how to make easy money, to obtain a bank loan, to clear your credit history, to do a job for a large sum, or with promises for quick profits.
Be cautious even when offered an employment contract with a salary. If you sign it, you may be held responsible for money laundering or for illegal financing.
How to recognize a phone scam?
If you receive a phone call from a person who pretends to be a police officer/prosecutor/lawyer/doctor/relative/neighbor/friend and asks you for money URGENTLY, be sure that this is a phone scam! The reasons and the amounts may vary and sometimes they may promise you that they will return the money.
• Stay calm and immediately end the conversation!
• Do not believe the story and do not share any personal data!
• Do not give money! No institution asks for money over the phone!
• Contact your relatives, friends or neighbors and check the information!
• From another device call 112 or go directly to the nearest Police station!
BE PREPARED AND INFORMED! DON'T BE A VICTIM!
If the person you're considering to send money to is not a relative or a close friend, ask yourself the following questions to ensure you're making the right decision:
• Do I know the person I'm sending money to? - If not, is it reasonable to do so? If yes, may I trust him?
• Is it appropriate to share confidential information with this person?
• Is this offer too good to be true?
• Do I really need to transfer the money? - If yes, what would be the consequences?
• Why is the receiver insisting on sending the amount quickly and creating a sense of urgency?
• What is the reason for all this secrecy and requests for confidentiality?
BASIC RULES:
1. Don't rush!
Scams are often designed to create a sense of urgency. Take your time to ask questions and consider your decision.
2. Check the facts!
Make a research to verify the information you've received and to check if what you're being told sounds logical.
3. Don't send money!
Never send money to someone you don't know in person!There is no trustworthy person or organization that will ask for a payment on the spot.
4. Never send money transfers:
• For an urgent/emergency situation that you have not confirmed;
• For a commercial purchase to unknown person or organization;
• For a loan release fee, insurance, or issuance of a fen card;
• To receive inheritance, lottery winnings or another prize;
• To purchase antivirus protection software;
• For a deposit of a new property;
• For applying and accepting a new job in Bulgaria or abroad;
• For acting as a secret shopper or an intermediary in a police action.
Information and its accuracy is the key to secure money transfers!
Act responsibly, especially when required to provide personal data and money to a receiver whose identity you are not sure of.
Do not provide personal or financial information over the phone, by e-mail, or via social media to unknown sources.
Be careful when receiving unexpected messages or calls that pressure you to make payments urgently.
Be suspicious to offers for quick and easy ways to make money that require some form of investments or upfront fees.
Avoid deals that require advance payments, financial guarantees and photos of payment documents or receipts.
Use secure passwords and update them regularly to prevent illegal access to your finances.
Keep your personal data and passwords secret!
Before sending money to an unknown person, verify the authenticity of the receiver and the purpose of the transfer. Be especially careful when you are required to provide personal data or funds to a receiver whose identity you are not sure of!
If you have already sent money and you have any doubts about the receiver's intentions, the accuracy of the information provided, or anything else, take immediate actions for blocking the transfer if possible. Go to the FexoPay/ EasyPay office where you have sent the transfer, share your concerns about possible fraud with the cashier and we will try to stop its payout.
IMPORTANT:
If you have any doubts, contact us immediately. We will assist you and do anything possible to protect your money!
Identity Scam - These are cases where one person uses another person's data without his consent or authorization to gain a material benefit at the expense of the other person (theft of identity). The most common scheme involves receiving a loan with someone else’s ID card, with the loan installments remaining for the person whose data was stolen.
Inheritance Scam - The victim receives an e-mail claiming that he has just inherited a property in a foreign country (usually in South Africa, North America or in another distant country). The letter may include false documents, some photos and fictional tragic stories. It also requests from the victim to send a money transfer for the legal fees, needed to process the documentation. The victim believes that after covering the attorney fees, he will become the owner of this property but soon he realizes that this is a scam.
“Nigerian Letter” Scam - In this type of scam a person receives an e-mail from an unknown sender, who is informing him that he has just won/inherited a large amount of money (e.g., $ 1,000,000), which is going to be paid out with several money transfers. The letter also explains that in order to receive the amount, the winner should pay in advance some administrative fees by sending a money transfer to Nigeria, Ghana or another African country.
Car Purchase Scam - Purchasing a car from abroad carries significant risks of financial fraud. Scammers usually post an advertisement with an attractive offer and after an inquiry is being made, they ask for a deposit in order to save the chosen vehicle in the respective country (most often in the UK, Germany or another European destination). Communication is carried mainly via e-mail or Viber without any phone calls, which should raise a suspicion about the legitimacy of the deal. The victim is advised to send a money transfer to himself, to a friend or a relative and the amount may vary from €1,000 to €2,500. The buyer is then asked to send "a transfer proof" by taking a photo of the payment receipt after he hides the confidential information. The victim is informed that soon he will receive an email, containing an Internet link where he can check if the "transfer has already reached the country". By clicking on the link, it redirects him to a fake website that imitates the official page of the payment provider where the victim should enter the Beneficiary’s personal data and the Reference number of the transfer. By doing so, he is allowing the scammers to collect all the necessary information and the amount is being withdrawn with a fake ID within a few hours.
Online Romance Scam – These are Internet connections that develop into romantic relationships, in which lonely women are usually the targets. In most cases the scammer presents himself as a widower, a doctor or an American military man. After some time of frequent romantic communication the false admirer begins to ask for money with different reasons – for buying a ticket to Bulgaria, for preparing the wedding, for urgent expenses or medical care. Shortly after receiving the funds the scammer stops all contacts with the victim and disappears.
Financial Mule Scam - A “mule” refers to an individual who knowingly or unknow-ingly participates in transferring/carrying illegally obtained funds for a commission (via electronic channels or in cash). Even if someone is not aware that he is involved in an illegal activity, the “financial mule” actually commits a crime by assisting the money laundry from Cybercrime, drug distribution, human trafficking or other finan-cial abuses. Scammers use various methods for recruiting “financial mules” by prom-ising easy profits and offering rewarding job and in dating sites, the social media, job advertisements or by sending personal text messages in popular Apps. After estab-lishing contact with the targeted victim, the scammer persuades him to carry in person the agreed amount or to send it as a money transfer in cash or via bank by using his own bank account or by opening a new payment account. Once the amount is re-ceived, the scammers disappear without paying any commission.
Blackmail Scam - A social network acquaintance may easily grow into a stormy love and each one from the couple starts trusting the other one. Gradually, it comes to sending indecent photos, which are subsequently being used for blackmail of the victim in exchange for large amounts of money. DO NOT share personal data and photos with people whose identity is not fully verified! If you have already done so, immediately cut off all contacts with this person and report him to the local police, because if you send money even once, the scammers will never stop asking for more.
Gift From Abroad Scam - This type of scam circulates on the Internet and includes a special offer for a luxury gift from abroad (most often from Dubai, Monaco or another popular destination). The gift may contain expensive goods, branded products or discount vouchers and the only condition is to pay in advance the fee for the international courier service. After the victim provides his personal data and sends a money transfer for covering the delivery costs, another payment request inevitably follows with the reasoning that additional funds are needed for "package insurance" or for "releasing it from the customs", etc. Even if you pay all the requested amounts, the gift from abroad never arrives and the communication with the scammers suddenly stops.
Mystery Box Scam - This is a fraud scheme where through online advertisements and social media posts the victim comes across an attractive offer to pay a small amount of money (usually ranging from 20 to 200 euros) in order to receive a "Mystery Box", containing various expensive goods (smartphones, laptops, luxury acces-sories, etc.). Fake posts display photos of happy people who have already received the expensive products, implying that the value of the content significantly exceeds the amount asked. After the customer places an order and sends a money transfer with the requested amount, he usually receives a box full of cheap low-quality useless items, sometimes an empty box or even no box arrives at all. Scammers often use temporary websites registered outside the EU and the shipment goes through several international courier companies, which makes it difficult for tracking.
"Lotto Abroad" Scam - An “advance-fee” scam that starts with an unexpected e-mail, phone call or a text message that you have won a large amount of money from the Lottery. It is then explained that you need to pay the transfer fees in order to receive the funds. Please note that no lottery requires from its winners to cover the costs!
Rental Scam - The scammer rents a property with the intention to show it to potential tenants. From each applicant he collects a double rent, covering the first and the last months. Security deposits, other fees and guarantees might be also requested by the fake landlord, before he disappears with the “profit”.
Charity Scam - This scam is used to collect funds from individuals who believe they are donating to charitable causes. To accomplish this, a scammer or a group of related persons spread false news through different channels, sharing information about their charity activities and inviting donors to contribute to non-existent charity events or organizations.
Online Shopping Scam - These are cases where the purchased item from a suspicious website never arrives or turns out to be a poor-quality replica. Indicators that a website may be fraudulent include lack of different delivery options and payment methods, missing contacts of the seller and numerous negative reviews on the Internet.
Telemarketing Scam - It refers to a fraudulent sale made through an automated phone call or after a conversation with an employee from a telemarketing company. You are offered a special discount, which is valid only now, so you should take a quick decision for the purchase and make an advance payment.
Hacked Account/Computer Scam - You receive an e-mail from an unknown sender claiming that your profile or your computer has been hacked, your passwords and contacts have been stolen, the access to your camera and microphone are being controlled and everything is being recorded. DO NOT send ransom money as these threats are fake! Contact the local police department and your e-mail provider for additional assistance.
Person in Need Scam – The scammer may pretend himself to be a relative or a close friend of yours, who is in danger and he is calling you with an urgent request for money. He usually claims that the cash is needed to pay for his surgery, for hospital expenses, for getting out of prison, for leaving a foreign country or for any other urgent reasons. The goal is the victim to send or hand over the requested amount as quickly as possible before he realizes that he was scammed.
Virtual Kidnapping Scam - This is a blackmail scheme in which the victim is urged to pay a ransom for a loved person under the threat of violence or murder. Unlike real kidnappings, no one is actually kidnapped here. The scammers rely on the momentary fright and the quick actions before the scheme gets exposed. Please contact immediately the local police!
Cryptocurrency Scam - This type of scam happens mainly in Telegram, Viber or WhatsApp. The scammer starts a communication with you, pretending to be a legitimate investment broker, a manager of a prestigious company or a well-known public figure. He promises you significant profits if you follow his advice and recommendations on how to invest in cryptocurrency without any risk. If you agree, he is helping you to register into a fake investment platform and to create a personal mobile wallet, after which he starts encouraging you to send a money transfer in order to activate your profile and to start earning from cryptocurrency. Within a short time, your virtual wallet shows a "large profit", but if you try to withdraw it, you receive a message that you should make another investment or to pay a fee in order to "unlock the funds" or to “pay 10% profit tax" or any other reasons. If you refuse to send the requested amount, the communication suddenly stops and the scammer disappears along with the investments. After a while, the fake cryptocurrency investment platform also disappears from the web.
Investment Fund Scam - This type of scam is related to financial investments in stocks, bonds, currencies, precious metals, alternative energy and others. It mainly happens in the social media Facebook, Telegram and LinkedIn. The users are attracted by advertisements of investment funds, which promise high returns and serious profits without any risks. Usually below these publications numerous fake comments are posted from people who had already invested and have earned large amounts of money. As soon as the victim registers in the platform, he is contacted by a person, presenting himself as an investment consultant, who informs him that in order to start earning, he should make an initial payment by sending a money transfer (most often between 300 and 1000 euros). The “consultant” maintains a daily communication with the victim and within a few days a big profit is being "generated" in the client's profile. The victim is warned that the amount can be paid out only if he sends another money transfer for its “insurance”, for “covering the fees and taxes” or for “proving the origin of funds”. This cycle continues until the customer refuses to send more money, after which the scammer disappears along with the investments made so far.
Football Results Scam - In platforms like Telegram and Facebook, different persons promote that they possess paid information with football results from the upcoming matches. Scammers persistently convince you that the results are “reliable”, as the games are pre-arranged thus guaranteeing significant profits from any bets. To re-ceive the football predictions, every month you should make a “subscription pay-ment” ranging from 10 to 300 euros by sending a money transfer in cash, by bank, via PayPal, Revolut or another payment system. After he pays, the victim receives false football results and sometimes scammers even design a fake website with a per-sonal e-wallet in it that shows that a “large profit” is being accumulated. In order to take the funds, the user is required to pay an additional fee to “activate the service” or to "withdraw the winning bet", but unfortunately the "winnings" never become avail-able.
Fan Card Scam - This scam targets passionate supporters of sports teams or fans of music groups and celebrities (artists, composers, football players, etc.). Scammers post ads or send private messages with invitations for "exclusive membership," which grants various bonuses - discounted event tickets, limited-edition merchandise, personal meetings or autographs. Once the victims show interest, they are charged with initial registration fees with subsequent payments for "card activation," "access to special privileges", etc. A similar mechanism is used in discount and loyalty card scams, where customers of well-known brands/online stores are targeted. After paying the issuance and delivery costs, the loyalty card does not arrive at all or it turns out to be completely worthless. Ultimately, the scammers disappear with the collected sums, leaving the victim with nothing but financial losses and disappointment.
Fast Credit Scam - Scammers publish advertisements on the Internet or in the social media, promising a fast credit with minimal requirements, low interest rate and easy approval, regardless of the person’s credit history. Usually, communication with the victim is done by phone, e-mail or chat and the scammer may claim to be an employee of a credit company licensed in a foreign country and to use an international phone number for credibility. After showed interest, the victim is required to pay an upfront fee for processing the documents and then to pay one or more additional fees for "guaranteeing the loan", for "clearing the bad credit history", for "administrative costs for granting the loan", etc. The scammers disappear without providing the promised credit and in some cases even take advantage of the collected personal data for new financial abuses using stolen identities.
Credit History Clearance Scam - Promoted ads say “Clearing Bad Credit History”, through which victims are being contacted by unknown persons who assure them that they can delete their credit history in the Central Credit Register before the expiration of the statutory period. The scammer informs you that the task is quite complicated and the responsibility for carrying out such an activity is really enormous, therefore the fee for this service is high. The amount must be paid with one money transfer to a payment account abroad or to be sent via several small money transfers to different persons in Bulgaria. After paying the initial fee, “additional costs” inevitably appear, followed by new payment requests. When the victim refuses to send more money, the scammers disappear.
Fake Credit Scam - Scammers do not contact the victim directly but through an in-termediary who is usually a distant acquaintance of theirs. The intermediary asks for "urgent financial help" and offers you a scheme through which you can also earn "quick money". The proposal is to withdraw a solid amount of money within one business day by taking one or several "fake credits", which will be restored immedi-ately and without any negative consequences for you. In return, he promises you a big commission, "personal credit score improvement" and he assures you that there are no reasons for worries, since this is "a well-trodden path". After the victim agrees, the scammers organize several meetings at different banks (or fast credit companies) and provide you with a personal transport with a driver, who usually presents himself as a financial consultant. While you visit together the institutions, the "consultant" ad-vises you on what to say and how to behave during the meetings. Right after the loans are being granted, the money should be withdrawn in cash and should be hand-ed over to the driver. Once the scammers receive the collected amounts, they cut off all communication, change their phones and leave the victim with huge debts and ac-cumulated liabilities, sometimes reaching several thosands leva.
Fake Website Scam /Fishing/ - Covers cases where various confidential information is obtained through fraud:
- Photo of ID document or other personal data;
- Financial details of credit or debit cards;
- Access to your online profiles or Internet banking accounts;
- Copy of payment receipt or Reference number of transfer;
- PIN code for international money transfers, ect.
Fishing is carried out by sending an e-mail that imitates a trusted source - e.g. a financial institution, a website for checking money transfer statuses, a link for tracking courier packages, etc. By clicking on the confirmation button, the above-mentioned data is easily collected and can be used by the scammers to benefit in an illegal manner.
Fake Phone Call Scam /Spoofing/ - A scheme in which scammers use special software to replace the number displayed on the phone's display. In practice, instead of the real phone number from which they are calling you, on the screen appears the number of a close friend, acquaintance, relative or it can also be the number of a bank, mobile operator or government institution. The victim accepts the call without any doubt, after which the scammers play out different scenarios. Usually, the stories are related to "an urgent financial problem", for example, that your bank account is blocked due to a suspicious transaction or that someone is trying to withdraw money using your name or that you need to immediately confirm your personal data. In this way, the victim is prompted to share confidential information, passwords, verification codes or to send a money transfer. If you get suspicious, just end the call and immediately dial up the phone number, which is saved in your phone book in order to check the accuracy of the story.
Vishing (Voice Fishing) and Smishing (SMS Fishing) - In this type of scam, the victim is being contacted via phone call or text messages. The scammer informs you that your account has been compromised and he asks you to share confidential information – data, codes, passwords, etc. The goal is the obtained information to be used by the scammer.
Fake Job Ads Scam - You receive a message that you have been approved for a desired job position (in the country or abroad), but first you need to send a certain amount of money for covering the costs of the entire procedure. It is important to note that legitimate employers never use such an approach.
Document Issuance Scam - Advertisements on the Internet offer assistance in issuing various official documents – visas, diplomas, certificates, residence or work permits, etc. Scammers use chat or phone calls to assure you that the procedure is quite complicated and lengthy, but they know how to speed it up as they know well the entire process. To start the procedure, you should pay an initial fee by sending a money transfer to a bank account abroad (most often to a Revolut account). Soon they ask for another money transfer with the argument “to review the documents”. If the victim continues to send money, various reasons for new payments appear. When the transfers stop, the scammers cut off all communication and disappear.
IMPORTANT!
The scam examples are real cases but do not include all types of frauds. It would be impossible for us to provide the full list of existing scams, so we ask you to be careful!