Scammers from around the world target Bulgarian men for online romance scams
Online romance scams (aka dating scams) have been around since the birth of the internet. The so-called bride scams were targeting mostly senior men from Western countries (USA, Western Europe), dreaming of a second (or even third) youth with a beautiful girl from the East. These men were not realising however that they were not chatting with beauties from Russia, the Philippines or Thailand, but with a whole department of sweaty, bearded guys, working in “call centres” in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, etc.
The new victims from Bulgaria
Unfortunately for the scammers, Western men have quickly learned about the bride scams and have became much more reluctant to part with any money. On top of that, the financial resources they had before the covid19 pandemic have drastically decreased as a result of the inflation. And this is where the Bulgarian victims came in. Often younger than the previous victims from the West, Bulgarian men proved to be the an easy target for romantic online scams. While Bulgarian tourists were conquering the Maldives and Zanzibar, and Bulgarian families were investing millions in real estate, some other Bulgarian men were looking for their beautiful halves online. And many of them believed they had found them.
The fake bride scam
The scammers from the call centres in Asia are learning basic Bulgarian
Yes, you read that correctly. Indians and Pakistanis learn elementary Bulgarian phrases as well as some facts about Bulgaria. This is how scammers “capture the hearts” of Bulgarian love seekers. The scammers quickly realised that Bulgarian men pay far easier (and even more) than their previous victims – men from Western Europe, USA, Australia, Canada, etc.
Scammers most often pose as “Russian”, “Ukrainian” and other “Russian speaking” beauties
Whether because of the similar culture or because of the notorious “Slavic beauty”, Bulgarian victims are often “captivated” by scammers posing as “Russians” or “Ukrainians”. Once the Bulgarian citizen becomes “attached” to the non-existent beauty, the moment comes when she has to come to Bulgaria. Then the demands for payments begin – for visa, ticket, for payment of taxes, without which the girl cannot leave her country, etc. In some cases, the amounts that Bulgarians send to the scammers exceed 100,000 euros. Sounds scary, doesn’t it?
What to do if you suspect you are being scammed online?
Not only if you are in doubt, but in any online relationship with a foreign beauty – be on alert. If she asks you for any money, for anything – seek professional advice and help! The likelihood of you being a victim of a bride scam is huge. And remember that the first payment is the hardest. After you pay once, you will be hooked and will start paying more and more and more. Until you’ve spent everything you have, until you’ve taken out the last loan the Bulgarian banks are willing to lend you.
For assistance, you can always contact us.