Fraud with fake online stores: Two men charged
Two men from North Rhine-Westphalia have been charged in Bamberg for allegedly stealing large sums of money via fake online stores for solar modules. The 21 and 23-year-old suspects from the district of Herford are said to have made around 400,000 euros with seven so-called fake stores on the internet, as the Bavarian Cybercrime Central Office at the Bamberg Public Prosecutor General's Office announced on Wednesday.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint from a victim from Schwabach in central Franconia. Between June and November 2022, the two men allegedly offered high-quality photovoltaic and solar modules online. For their fake stores, they allegedly misused data from real companies in order to imitate them. However, if interested parties paid in advance, they did not receive any goods, according to the indictment. The investigators accuse the accused of 132 cases of commercial fraud.
Following a partly undercover investigation, the police succeeded in arresting the two during a search in March of this year. The 21-year-old has been in custody since then, and the arrest warrant for the 23-year-old was suspended in June subject to conditions. The younger man must also answer for possession of child pornography. The Bamberg Regional Court now has to decide whether to admit the charges.
The fraudulent activities extended beyond Bamberg, with similar incidents reported in Upper France, where unsuspecting individuals fell victim to these scams. The rise of such crimes on the internet underscores the need for increased vigilance and cybersecurity measures.
Source: www.dpa.com
