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File a criminal complaint about fake shop fraud online

Choose your state and open the online police station. Below you find what to have ready, a template for the facts and what happens after you submit.

The online police station of your state

Each link leads straight to the state police form. For the marked states there is no form for online shopping fraud.

In 14 of 16 states you can report online shopping fraud directly online. 2 states work differently.

If you do not know where the offence took place, choose the state you live in. With a fake shop the location is usually unknown. Austria and Switzerland

Nordrhein-Westfalen

Yes, own form for internet fraud

North Rhine-Westphalia runs its own system, the Internetwache, with its own form for internet fraud. After submitting you immediately receive a case number.

Official office
Internetwache Polizei NRW
ID required
Not stated
Languages
Internetwache in German and English, plus Easy Read and sign language
Open the online police stationReporting route in Nordrhein-Westfalen

  1. Download the evidence dossier

    Contains a screenshot, legal notice, hosting and registrar data, the checked features and a timestamp with checksum (integrity proof). You can attach it to your complaint.

    The dossier needs the access link with code. You get it right after submitting your victim report. Steps 2 to 4 work without a report.

  2. What to have ready

    The online forms ask for these details.

    • Your personal details: first name, surname, address, date of birth, contact details.
    • What you know about the other party: shop address, company name from the imprint, email, phone number, recipient IBAN.
    • The course of events with dates: order, payment, contact with the shop, contact with your bank.
    • Evidence as files: screenshots, PDF of the shop pages, order confirmation, proof of payment, email thread.
    • What your bank or payment provider has said so far, with dates.

    Upload these as evidence files

    • The shop’s address and screenshots of the product page, price, imprint and checkout, each with the address bar visible.
    • Order confirmation and invoice, saved as an email with attachments.
    • Proof of payment or bank statement showing recipient, IBAN, amount, date and reference.
    • All messages with the shop, including your own attempt to reach it.
    • Tracking number or shipping email, if there was one.
    How to secure the evidence

  3. Paste the facts from the template

    Copy the template for the facts, replace the square brackets and paste it into the form.

  4. Further contacts

What happens after you file

The details come from the police websites and were checked on 2 October 2026.

After submitting
You upload evidence such as screenshots, PDFs and email threads as attachments at the end. You then receive an email confirming that the report has been submitted. The police inform you about next steps after reviewing the facts.
Police
Takes the criminal complaint and investigates. The reference number helps you with your bank and payment provider.
Consumer advice centre
Advises you on your rights and next steps. Not a criminal complaint.
Bank or payment provider
The only route to getting money back. That is where deadlines run. More
Report to us
Reviewed, and once approved it can warn others. Does not replace a police report. More

Questions about the online report

Can I report a fake shop online in every German state?
No. On the check date, Bavaria and Bremen offer no form for online shopping fraud in their online station. Bavaria only accepts online auction fraud online. There you go to a police station.
Do I need to identify myself for the online report?
Not in the joint state portal. The forms work without logging in; BundID is optional. The police may still contact you later or ask you to an interview.
Which state do I choose?
The state where the incident happened. If that place is abroad, on the internet or unknown, as is usual with fake shops, choose the state of your home address.
Does a notification to Watchlist Internet or to us replace a police report?
No. Reporting bodies warn others and collect cases. You only file a criminal complaint with the police or public prosecutor.

Automated assessment without warranty, not legal advice or a statement of fact. Reports reflect user submissions. Operators can request a correction.