Prosecutor’s office investigates large-scale online financial fraud

Bulgaria’s Prosecutor’s office takes part in investigation of large-scale online financial fraud Regarding information disseminated by Austrian media for an investigation of an online financial fraud, the press office of Bulgaria’s Prosecutor's Office reported that from the beginning of 2019 the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office conducted procedural investigative actions in pursuance of four European investigation orders from Germany and Austria to identify an international criminal group commiting cybercrimes - online financial fraud, which has led to the defrauding of thousands of citizens of Germany, Austria and other EU member states and resulted in damages to the value of 100 million euros.

The mechanism of fraud is to mislead the injured citizens by offering on the internet fictitious favorable conditions for investing money that is not recoverable later, the prosecution explains. After the undue receipt of the process cash proceeds, they are banked to various bank accounts, including outside the Republic of Bulgaria, thus laundering the subject of fraud.

In compliance with the European Investigation Order, the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office carried out 34 searches, seizures and searches of persons, all on the territory of Sofia, and the actions were carried out after a duly authorization by Sofia City Court. Documents, computer configurations, and other items, were seized.

A bank secret was disclosed with the permission of the court, and, at the request of Sofia city Prosecutor’s office, restraints were imposed on bank accounts in various banks in the country. A number of people were interviewed as witnesses - employees in call centers and companies used for the group's activities. Interviews were also carried out with 10 persons as accused, at the request of the judicial authorities in Austria and Germany.

Based on a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Austrian judicial authorities on 30^th of January, the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Sofia ordered the detention of the person named Gal Barak, a citizen of Israel, listed as the main member of the international criminal group who attempted to leave the country through Kalotina border checkpoint. At the request of the Regional Prosecutor's Office - Sofia, by order of 01.02.2019 of the Sofia Regional Court, a measure of remand "detention in custody" was taken against Gal Barak, and by a ruling of the Sofia Court of Appeal dated 07.02.2019 following a complaint by Gal Barak, his detention order was changed to "home arrest."

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