Overview

• Four men aged 26 to 37 were arrested during coordinated raids involving 280 officers in Berlin and Brandenburg on May 15, 2025.
• The suspects are accused of defrauding elderly victims of €1.95 million by selling cheap book reprints as rare collector’s items since late 2022.
• Authorities seized documents, phones, and data carriers, launching further investigations into at least ten individuals, some with alleged clan ties.
• Victims were pressured into paying advance fees, with some taking out loans of up to €450,000 under the false promise of valuable purchases.
• Police and consumer agencies have issued nationwide warnings about the ‘Faksimile-Masche’ scam, which specifically targets seniors.