Bulgarian investigators, in co-operation with the US Secret Service uncovered a trans-border online payment fraud scheme.

The gang used online payment information to drain funds from bank cards. They used fake documents and also got involved in money laundering schemes.

Police started working on the case after one of the group members was detained, an Interior Ministry press release said. Information received enabled investigators identify five other people part of the scheme.

The men were detained on March 18. Interior Ministry said that one of them was the organiser of the scheme. Some of the men detained have previous criminal record.

Gang members offered goods and services online. At the same time they used ‘stolen identities’ to open bank accounts and transfer money from the online transactions there.

Investigators said that nearly $100 000 were diverted in this manner.

Co-ordination between Bulgarian and US investigators aided the operation, Secret Service representative Robert Fotner told a press conference.

Fotner said that such crime was becoming more prevalent and only international co-operation could counter it.