Investigation Launched after Beauty Salon Clients Secretly Filmed in Burgas, Videos Leaked on to the Internet

Complaints continue to be filed by customers of beauty salons in the Black Sea city of Burgas after videos of laser hair removal procedures were circulated online without the knowledge or consent of those filmed. The case has now escalated into a criminal investigation, with more than one salon in the city under scrutiny.

The first report was submitted about a week ago, involving a salon in central Burgas. A female client became aware of the existence of the recordings after acquaintances showed her videos circulating on the internet. She recognised herself in the footage, which she says was filmed during a procedure at the salon, and alerted prosecutors. A prosecutorial inquiry was launched immediately.

The owner of the first salon claimed she had no involvement in the distribution of the videos, stating that the security cameras had been hacked and were installed solely for security purposes. According to her, clients had been informed about the cameras through signage on the premises and by signing informed consent forms. Despite this, further complaints followed from other clients who said they had identified themselves in similar videos posted on pornographic websites.

On Tuesday it emerged that footage had also been leaked from a second beauty salon, located in the Meden Rudnik district of Burgas. This development prompted prosecutors to urgently convert the initial inquiry into a formal pre-trial criminal investigation. Police officers entered both premises, carrying out on-site inspections and questioning until late in the evening.

Investigators say the case will be particularly complex, as it must establish who had access to the cameras and the recordings, and how the footage was distributed. The websites hosting the videos are based abroad, meaning Bulgarian authorities will seek international assistance.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the case is that some of the leaked footage reportedly includes images of a minor. Our team spoke to the girl and her mother, whose identities are being withheld at their request.

“People are writing comments about my body, about how I looked. It’s extremely humiliating. I trusted this salon, and they abused that trust,” the girl said.

She added that the cameras were difficult to spot and that she only noticed them in December, despite having visited the salon for nearly three years.

“I’d been going there for almost three years before I saw them,” she said.

The family is demanding full accountability from the salon owners.

“We can’t sleep, we can’t eat, we cry constantly. She has to be held responsible – she installed those cameras,” the girl’s mother said.

As part of the investigation, authorities will determine who had access to the recordings and under what conditions, whether that access was authorised, who distributed the videos and on which websites they were published.

Legal experts point out that security cameras are generally expected to be placed outside such premises and clearly marked. Prosecutors are expected to seek assistance from Interpol and the FBI, both to support the investigation and to help remove the already published content.

At this stage, no arrests have been made. Investigators say the videos have been shared on at least 10 websites, with some of the material having been online for two to three years.