Ombudsman warns of rising scams with imported used cars

Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva has warned of scams involving used cars imported from abroad, the institution’s press office said. She is calling on the Ministry of Interior to take concrete and effective measures. A total of 786 cases were reported in 2025 alone.

Signals received by the institution point to a systemic and recurring problem: Bulgarian citizens purchase vehicles that, at the time of the transaction, have valid registration and are not listed as wanted. Subsequently, the same cars are reported stolen in international and national databases. Police then seize the vehicles, while buyers suffer significant financial losses, the statement said.

The analysis shows that cars taken on lease or rented abroad stop being paid for, are declared wanted, and are meanwhile sold in Bulgaria.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov