Bulgaria Grapples with Soaring Corruption Rates: New Report Reveals Shocking Data
Corruption in Bulgaria has soared to its third highest peak in history, according to a recent report by the Center for the Study of Democracy
A young American man had misled the FBI in alarming the authorities about the kidnapping in Bulgaria of a non-existing woman.
CNN reports Wednesday that Andriy Mykhaylivskyy, 18, of Bergen County, New Jersey, has been arrested one day earlier (August 27) and has been charged with making false statements to a United States official.
Mykhaylivskyy allegedly created a fake online persona named Kate Brianna Fulton and proceeded to initiate a year-long online relationship between "Kate" and one of his male high school classmates, according to the criminal complaint.
In July, he contacted an unidentified US Embassy in Eastern Europe to report that Kate had been kidnapped in Bulgaria and was being held for USD 50 000 ransom.
The high school friend called Bulgaria himself after receiving two tweets from Kate's Twitter account, including one that said, "Someone help me." He has not been aware of the prank.
The alert prompted a search of hotels and hostels in one Bulgarian town by local authorities, but of course they were unable to locate the non-existing girl.
Through online investigations, authorities traced Kate back to Mykhaylivskyy, who admitted the "joke" in an interview with State Department investigators.
A Newark Court set Mykhaylivskyyy's bail at USD 5 000 with the condition that he only use the Internet for educational purposes and that he continue school. His lawyer has declined to comment.
The name Andriy Mykhaylivskyy could possibly have Bulgarian roots.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
In a pioneering initiative to address road safety, a new campaign will see road offenders receiving letters from relatives of those who lost their lives in accidents
Bulgaria is grappling with a sharp increase in counterfeit currency, with the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) reporting a concerning surge in fake banknotes, particularly those of 100 BGN denominations
In a chilling turn of events, the lifeless body of a man was discovered in Sofia's "Zapaden Park" yesterday, as reported by NovaTV
In a tragic turn of events, a 57-year-old man fatally assaulted a 42-year-old woman in her Cherven Bryag home before taking his own life in another residence
In Stara Zagora, Bulgarian authorities apprehended a 35-year-old man who attempted to bribe traffic police with a BGN 20 banknote
An organized criminal group comprising Bulgarian citizens has been implicated in what authorities describe as the largest welfare fraud scheme in the legal history of Great Britain
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022