Bulgaria's 'Shepherd Scammer' Seized in Spain

The would-be shepherds never saw their Australian dream fulfilled. File photo by Jason Hollinger

A Bulgarian who cheated would-be shepherds into paying for non-existent jobs in Australia has been arrested in Spain, local media reported.

Dimitar Dimitrov P was arrested in the coastal town of Torrevieja, The Local, a Spanish English-language news provider, reported, citing a statement by the Spanish police.

The 40-year-old was the subject of an international arrest warrant for his role in scamming Bulgarian jobseekers hoping to find work in Australia as shepherds.

In February 2000, he posted a job ad in the Bulgarian press advertising the desirable positions.

Candidates were asked to fill out a form supposedly created by an Australian Government agency acting as an intermediary between the candidates and farmers.

The would-be shepherds then had to send in their details — and a small fee.

There was just one catch: the jobs didn't exist, and neither did the Australian Government agency.

Some 221 fell victims to the scam, Spanish police said in their statement.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!