site.btaInterior Ministry Investigates BETL's Crypto Scam, Over 20 Alerts Received, Says Minister Ilkov

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is investigating the case of the BETL pyramid scheme, which has defrauded over 30,000 Bulgarians, leaving victims with empty cryptocurrency accounts. Since Monday, the Ministry of the Interior's Cybersecurity Directorate has received more than 20 alerts, and the National Police Directorate General is looking into them, caretaker Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov told a briefing in Sofia City Court on Tuesday.

Previously, there was only one alert related to BETL, which was submitted to the Sofia City Prosecution Office, but the file was sent back with additional instructions related to the investigation.

Minister Ilkov urged citizens who have been involved in the scheme to report it so that the full extent of the criminal activity can be uncovered.

National Revenue Agency Executive Director Rumen Spetsov said that the agency has received alerts from individuals claiming to have been defrauded and that checks are underway. Both individuals and legal entities will be investigated, along with how the company’s activities were carried out.

The assistance of Europol and other services has been requested, and parallel criminal activity in Bulgaria and other countries will be investigated. The investigation is still at an early stage.

According to the Trud daily, nearly 30,000 Bulgarians have become victims of the scheme by investing their money in BETL, established less than a year ago in the UK. For its short life the company has opened many offices in Sofia and the country, promising quick profits to everyone, even though the company does not exist in Bulgaria's Trade Register. BETL promises quick and easy money in crypto currency to anyone who decides to become an owner of their products - public charging stations for mobile phones, described as a preferred tool in China and now entering the Bulgarian market.