May 8, 2026, 3:36 p.mMay 8, 2026, 3:36 p.m
After years of investigation, a suspected leading operator of fake online shops has been caught. The 35-year-old man from North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany is said to have defrauded around 1,000 people of some considerable sums.
He was arrested two days ago in Mallorca and is in custody pending extradition, said the Baden-Württemberg Cybercrime Center (CCZ).
The suspect had been living on the Spanish island for years under a false identity and is considered one of the suspected leading figures in the German-speaking so-called underground economy. These are criminal networks on the Darknet and the Internet that offer illegal goods and services. According to the information, it is still unclear when the 35-year-old will be extradited to Germany.
The alleged operator of the fake shops lived in Mallorca for years under a false identity.Image: EPA ANP
Fraud with fake shops that look deceptively real
The man is accused of having operated more than 40 deceptively realistic shops on the Internet between March 2023 and January 2025, it was said. The fraud victims had ordered products and transferred money, but never received any goods. The damage therefore amounts to at least 323,000 euros (around 296,000 francs).
Investigators, especially from the Reutlingen and Offenburg police headquarters, made a significant contribution to identifying the suspect, it was said. The victims identified so far came from these and other cities in southwest Germany, among others. People from all other German federal states are also affected.
Bitcoin and data carrier secured
At the same time as the arrest, in addition to the man’s apartment in Mallorca, properties in Germany were also searched, including those of two suspected accomplices from Kaltenkirchen in Schleswig-Holstein and Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia. The investigators secured Bitcoin worth around 314,000 euros in the main suspect’s apartment in Mallorca. Data carriers were also confiscated. (sda/dpa/fwa)