This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SOFIA 000181 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR CA/FPP; DEPT ALSO PASS TO KCC; POSTS FOR 
FRAUD PREVENTION MANAGERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CVIS KFRD CPAS CMGT ASEC BU
SUBJECT: QUARTERLY FRAUD SUMMARY, SOFIA, OCT-DEC 2005 
 
¶A. COUNTRY CONDITIONS 
--------------------- 
Bulgaria is a country from which economic migration -- both 
legal and illegal -- continues strong.  Many Bulgarian 
workers now reside in other European countries, especially 
Greece, Spain and the United Kingdom, but the U.S. remains 
another favorite destination.  Chicago has probably the 
largest number of Bulgarian immigrants (perhaps more than 
100,000), with other top spots being New York, Los Angeles, 
Atlanta, St. Louis, and Detroit.  The most typical pattern 
for Bulgarian illegal migrants to the U.S. is to spend six 
months or so at a time working and then return for an 
indefinite period -- sometimes permanently -- to Bulgaria. 
Even green card holders are often reluctant to actually 
reside permanently in the States, and many use their green 
cards as long-term multiple entry visas. 
 
Just over half of all Bulgarians over the age of 15 (3.41 
million) is believed to be economically active.  While 
unemployment has been dropping over the last year, currently 
the unemployment rate is 10.4 percent, and rises to about 
20.5 percent among younger Bulgarians.  Approximately 30 
percent of the employed have neither medical nor social 
insurance.  Compared to the same period last year, the 
Bulgarian economy grew by 4.6 percent in the third quarter 
of 2005.  Productivity in the public sector continues to 
decline, while the private sector continues to become more 
efficient. 
 
Since 1990 approximately one million Bulgarians have 
apparently left the country, and best estimates are that at 
least half of them reside abroad illegally.  Most of the 
Bulgarians who decide to settle abroad fall within the 30-45 
age group.  Typically they work, though long-term students 
do comprise an estimated 10 percent of this group.  A recent 
Social Affairs Ministry analysis indicates that the number 
of Bulgarians who want to work abroad is decreasing, and 
that there may be an incipient trend of expat Bulgarians 
returning to their home country. 
 
Official Bulgarian identification documents -- passports, ID 
cards ("lichna kartas"), birth certificates and so on -- are 
generally of high quality and quite tamper resistant, and 
difficult to obtain fraudulently.  Criminal records, 
however, are a different matter.  Due to a high level of 
corruption within the judicial system, it is relatively easy 
to ensure investigations are not pursued, prosecutions do 
not occur, or records are expunged. 
 
¶B. NIV FRAUD 
------------ 
B1/B2 Visa Fraud:  FPU has detected no signs that visa 
fixers are becoming particularly advanced or canny here.  We 
continue to see mainly unsophisticated fraud, such as fake 
invitation and/or employment letters, and the like.  Last 
quarter we dealt with a handful of cases involving 
applicants tied to organized crime seeking business visas. 
In all of these cases we have sent advisory opinions to the 
Department requesting concurrence on visa ineligibility. 
 
Using the methodology endorsed and provided by CA/FPP, FPU 
conducted a B1/B2 validation study, reported in 05 
Sofia 2069. 
 
In December, FPU conducted an investigation of visa-fixing 
operations around Sofia.  All of these were ready to prepare 
an entire application package, including fake documents and 
coaching.  A U.S. invitation letter costs about USD 600.00, 
while a letter of employment that is verifiable with the 
Bulgarian Social Security Services can be purchased for USD 
200.00.  If the visa is issued, FPU learned that an 
additional USD 2,800 is payable.  Again, we have caught many 
of these phony papers at the visa windows, and have noted 
few that are very convincing.  One visa-fixing shop offered 
documents verifying membership on a recognized sports team, 
along with a one-way ticket to the U.S. for 5000.00 Euros. 
None of these visa "companies" has a fixed address, name, or 
business or office phones.  They use cell phones and meet 
their clients at coffee shops in the center of the city. 
There seem to be fewer visa-fixers in circulation now 
compared to recent years, but their fees appear to have 
increased. 
 
Macedonians who live and work in Macedonia do continue to 
apply with recently issued Bulgarian passports, but their 
number has dropped significantly.  About 20 Macedonians 
submit applications for Bulgarian citizenship at the 
Bulgarian Consulate in Skopje every day. 
 
C1/D Visas:  Nothing to report. 
H Visa Fraud:  Post recently conducted a validation study 
for H2B visas issued from May 2003 through May 2004.  FPU 
randomly selected 392 (50 percent) of the applicants and 
discovered that 20 percent had overstayed.  During that time 
period post's H2B refusal rate was 14 percent. Due to this 
high rate of overstay, Post is taking an even closer look at 
all aspects of H2B applications.  While we have not 
definitively identified any fraudulent petitioners, we 
remain wary. 
 
One company we have strong suspicions about is AA Janitorial 
& Management Services (petition LIN-05-064-51805).  In 
December three Ukrainians and a Russian flew to Sofia to 
apply for their H2B visas.  Two of the Ukrainians had 
already applied for, and been denied, P3 visas as singers in 
Kiev.  The applicants claimed that AA Janitorial & 
Management Services had required them to apply in Sofia, 
because the company did not have a representative in Kiev. 
FPU learned that the representative for Bulgaria is in fact 
Valentin Petrov Milev, DOB 24 Aug 1966 (Issued a B1/B2 here 
in 2000).  He personally met the applicants at the Sofia 
Airport, found them a hotel, and brought the group to a 
travel agency called Valvex, where their application forms 
were prepared.  A search in the Bulgarian Company Register 
showed that Milev is the sole owner of VALVEX Travel. 
VALVEX is well known to FPU and is believed to be involved 
in helping to smuggle Bulgarians to Mexico and on to the 
U.S.  A CCD search of all known AA Janitorial & Management 
Services petitions -- LIN-05-064-51805 and LIN-06-012-52072 
-- revealed large numbers of applicants who applied in 
Tashkent and Cairo.  We could not find any information about 
the company or its business on the Internet.  It seems they 
do not advertise their services.  RSOs and FPUs in Kiev, 
Tashkent, and Cairo were accordingly informed about our 
concerns. 
 
J-1 Visa Fraud:  While our numbers in this category continue 
to rise dramatically (an expected increase of over 30 
percent from last year), we thankfully haven't yet seen much 
fraud.  That said, our validation studies indicate 
approximately 12 percent of our Summer Work and Travel J-1 
recipients remain in the U.S. indefinitely after the summer 
ends. 
 
P Visa Fraud:  Post does not have many applicants in this 
category, but a large percentage of those we do get are 
petitioned by Magic Star Entertainment (MSE), which hires 
circus performers.  We believe that MSE has been running a 
side business slipping in non-legitimate applicants along 
with real performers.  We detailed this trend in 05 Sofia 
2055 and we understand FPP and DS are conducting further 
investigations.  Amembassy Bucharest has also reported on 
MSE. 
 
¶C. IV FRAUD 
----------- 
Post has noted a rising trend involving stepparents and 
stepchildren in the Chicago area.  The pattern appears to be 
that the Bulgarian parent, whose status in the U.S. is 
uncertain at best and most often illegal, marries a 
(typically naturalized) American Citizen.  The Amcit 
stepparent then petitions on behalf of the stepchild or 
stepchildren.  Many stepchildren are 18 or older, although 
the cases can involve one or more younger children as well. 
The child has not met the stepparent or spent any time with 
her/him.  There is no evidence of any relationship between 
the child and the petitioning stepparent.  When interviewed, 
the child usually denies any knowledge of the whereabouts of 
the other natural parent.  In most of these cases we come to 
the conclusion that the marriage is for the purpose of the 
adoption only, and that the natural parents are still in 
reality "together," though not both living in the U.S. 
Presumably the other natural parent plans on trying to get 
to the U.S. subsequently by some other means. 
 
We also continue to note petitions based on fraudulent 
marriages between Bulgarians and Amcits, particularly in the 
Chicago area, where neither petitioner nor beneficiary are 
able to demonstrate an actual relationship.  The most common 
claim in these cases is that the couple met online. 
 
¶D. DV FRAUD 
----------- 
Steady trend of marriage fraud. 
 
¶E. ACS AND PASSPORT FRAUD 
------------------------- 
Nothing to report. 
 
¶F. ADOPTION FRAUD 
----------------- 
There were few adoptions by Amcits during this period, and 
we have no reason to suspect any fraud.  The Bulgarian 
Parliament passed new adoption laws in 2003 in order to 
comply with the requirements of the Hague Convention, and 
implementation of these laws began in late 2004.  Since then 
the number of adoptions of Bulgarian children by foreigners 
has dropped precipitously.  There were only 29 adoptions 
here by Amcits in 2005, compared, for example, to 295 just 
four years earlier.  In the past, before the legislative 
changes, corruption among Bulgarian orphanage directors was 
fairly rampant.  Nowadays the process is far more regulated 
and slow, and decision-making power has shifted to a much 
higher level, within the Ministry of 
Justice. 
 
G: ASYLUM AND OTHER DHS BENEFITS FRAUD 
-------------------------------------- 
Post has noted a growing number of following-to-join (Visas 
92) Immigrant Visa cases where it is obvious the original 
successful asylum seekers based their claims on fraud, 
pretending to be of Roma ethnicity.  See 05 Sofia 1868 and 
05 Sofia 2003 for details regarding this trend.  We are 
grateful to USCIS officials and consular officers at other 
posts for their interest in and responses to our reports, 
and we applaud USCIS's decision to reopen the original 
asylum cases. 
 
H: COOPERATION WITH HOST GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
Post receives valuable help regularly from Law Enforcement 
Agencies in Bulgaria.  Through the local Police, for 
instance, FPU has immediate access to the Bulgarian Border 
Police database, which tracks all entries and exits of 
travelers.  Actual prosecutions for fraud or human 
trafficking here are still rare, though we did see several 
in 2005, a definite positive sign. 
 
FPU took two one-day trips to Dupnitsa and Pazardzhik, towns 
known for fraudulent marriages, green card lottery winners, 
and visa-fixing.  FPU met high-ranking Municipal officials 
who provided valuable information and who we hope will 
become good working contacts. 
 
I: AREAS OF PARTICULAR CONCERN 
------------------------------ 
Post continues to see Bulgarians obtain visas to Mexico, 
from where they will seek to enter the U.S. undetected. 
 
J: STAFFING AND TRAINING 
------------------------ 
Post has an FSO FPM, who is also NIV Chief.  Post also has a 
Consular Associate who is working part time for FPU, and two 
full-time FSNs.  Both FSN's completed the FSI Fraud 
Prevention Course -- PC 542 (2001 and 2003).  We would like 
to see more training courses for FPU FSN's, particularly in 
the area of investigation and interviewing techniques, as 
well as writing skills. 
 
Beyrle