Bulgaria's interior ministry has warned that more people are getting fake emails and text messages that claim to come from the National Police General Directorate and the traffic police.

The senders vary. Most often, they use email addresses made on purpose with "MVR" in the name to win trust. Sometimes the sender field shows the name of the institution the message claims to come from.

The scammers have no right to do so, but they put the names and logos of the interior ministry and the National Police General Directorate in their messages. They also use the Europol logo. With official-looking marks and signatures, they imitate a real document from the institution.

The interior ministry and the police directorate advise people not to reply to such messages or send personal data, documents or any other details. People should also not write to the contact emails given in the message, or open attached files and links in suspicious emails.

Check the sender's address. The institution handles its official mail only through its set channels.

A logo, an office number, a signature, a stamp and official-sounding text prove nothing because they are easy to copy, the ministry said. People should not rush to act if a message sets a short deadline for a reply or makes threats.

Anyone who suspects a case is open against them should contact the institution themselves, using its official contacts and not the details in the suspicious email.