Victims of Phone Scams Got Their Money Back at the Courthouse in Dobrich

Five victims of telephone fraud from Sliven and Balchik received their savings back today at the Palace of Justice in Dobrich. A total of €54,000 was returned to them by the head of the special investigative team, Prosecutor Daniel Iliev.

The suspects were arrested in February with the assistance of the Romanian Prosecutor’s Office and are awaiting trial. The group is from Gorna Oryahovitsa but carried out the scams while operating from neighbouring Romania.

Prosecutor Daniel Iliev, Head of the Investigation Team: "These are individuals who are, so to speak, professionally involved in telephone fraud. We established that the victims had been threatened with death, as well as with having their arms and legs broken."

Ivan Ivanov, son of an 83-year-old fraud victim: "My father developed dementia afterwards and he's not doing well at all. He told us that people had called him pretending to be doctors."

Tonka Nedelcheva, daughter of an 85-year-old fraud victim: "She told me they threatened to cut off her fingers, one by one."

Birsen Ismailova, fraud victim: "I wouldn't wish what we went through on anyone."

Prosecutor Daniel Iliev: "During the investigation, we managed to prevent 12 telephone fraud attempts in the regions of Silistra, Stara Zagora and Pleven, with a combined value exceeding €50,000."

Photos: BTA