Following investigations by Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld: State Criminal Police apprehend scammer | Advance payment fraud

€136,000 obtained through deception

A logistics company from Poland was looking to expand its truck fleet. Online, they found a commercial vehicle dealer from Bielefeld offering unusually attractive prices. Two employees of the Polish firm – who would later commission Kurtz Economic Detective Agency Bielefeld – travelled to East Westphalia to inspect the vehicles. The seller welcomed them on a large lot filled with various trucks, presented the vehicles, claimed ownership, conducted test drives, and even showed authentic registration papers. Everything appeared entirely legitimate. Our clients negotiated the price down by €10,000, signed the purchase contract, and transferred a total of €136,000 to the supposed dealer. Since the vehicles were allegedly still in use, a near-term pickup date was agreed upon.

 

On the scheduled pickup day, the seller was nowhere to be found. The clients of Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld visited the office of the local logistics firm whose name appeared on the lot. The staff knew of the man but claimed no knowledge of a sale. He had approached them with a trading license for buying and selling commercial vehicles, saying he already had a buyer ready. For this reason, they had handed him the keys and registration papers, allowing him to act as an intermediary. However, he had not been seen for some time, and no money had been received. The trucks, of course, belonged to the logistics company, and the supposed dealer had disappeared with €136,000. Accordingly, Kurtz Private Detective Agency Bielefeld was commissioned to locate the fraudster.

Further frauds? Contacting another seller.

As the name given by the suspect was almost certainly false, the detectives began their search using the phone number the man had used during the transaction. Through this number, the Bielefeld investigator uncovered several other connections and online listings – among them, an advertisement for a Mercedes Sprinter. Under the pretext of being a potential buyer, the detective first tried to reach the seller by phone (unsuccessfully) and then via WhatsApp. After about two hours, the man returned the call, giving a name different from the one previously used. We will refer to him here as Mr. Bünde. He willingly discussed the van, even agreeing to lower the price by more than €1,000. The Bielefeld detective and the possible target arranged a meeting in Hamburg for viewing and collection of the vehicle.

Detectives identify the correct target.

The preliminary research thus completed, the corporate investigators began surveillance at the address provided by the seller the following day. On site, Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld located a Mercedes Sprinter, though not the exact model advertised. As no other similar van was nearby, they maintained visual observation of the vehicle and monitored the location throughout the day for anyone matching the description of the target. In the afternoon, a man arrived who, following confirmation and photo comparison with the Polish clients, was verified as the advance payment fraudster. Shortly thereafter, two other men drove another Mercedes Sprinter into the same street.

 

One of the Bielefeld economic detectives approached the three men and overheard that the two newcomers had just completed a test drive with the van. However, they could not agree on a price and left. The suspect then returned to his residence. In this way, our investigators successfully verified the seller’s identity and were now able to involve the authorities.

Organised criminal activity?

The following day was set for the supposed sale meeting between our detective and the suspect. Prior to that, Kurtz Private Detective Agency Bielefeld had coordinated the arrest operation with the State Criminal Police (LKA) in Hamburg. At a rendezvous point near the target area, our Bielefeld investigator met with two colleagues from Kurtz Detective Agency Hamburg and the LKA team – the lead investigator and several plainclothes officers. Because the police suspected the suspect’s activities were linked to organised crime and potentially violent offenders, the tactical unit consisted of more than ten LKA officers plus uniformed backup. Our private detective from Bielefeld was to make initial contact with the target, while the police team secured the area. The agreed signal for the arrest was a phone call to the LKA operation leader.

 

When our undercover “buyer” received confirmation that all officers were in position, he entered the target street. The Sprinter was already parked there; according to a brief phone call, Mr. Bünde would arrive within minutes. While waiting, the Bielefeld investigator examined the van, mindful that he might be under observation by other members of the suspected group. Eventually, Mr. Bünde appeared with his fifteen-year-old son and handed over the keys so the “buyer” could inspect the vehicle. The registration certificate was said to be in the glove compartment, the title document in the family car. The detective posed as a knowledgeable buyer, inspecting the running engine and then agreeing to purchase for €7,500 instead of the initial €8,600. Mr. Bünde accepted the offer, stating he still needed the van for his snack business for another week but would accept a deposit. The detective offered €500 in cash and said he would transfer the remaining amount. As Mr. Bünde did not have a written contract, the detective suggested noting the details in his own notebook. The suspect wrote down his bank details and presented his German ID card – genuinely issued under the name Mr. Bünde. This indicated that, at least in this case, the Sprinter sale might be a legitimate private transaction rather than a scam. The man even scribbled a provisional receipt.

Swift police action | Arrest of the suspect

When the €500 deposit was about to change hands, our Bielefeld detective pretended to make a call to his office – in reality alerting the LKA leader that the time for the arrest had come. He kept Mr. Bünde engaged in conversation beside the open passenger door until, moments later, plainclothes officers appeared from all directions and overpowered the suspect. Once the situation was secured and Mr. Bünde stood in handcuffs beside the van, additional LKA team members arrived, including forensic specialists. The police cordoned off the area and began securing evidence.

 

During the debriefing with the detectives from Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld and Hamburg, the officers reported finding a bag containing €5,000 in cash on the suspect. His son was questioned briefly and then escorted home to his mother. A police van remained on-site to oversee the removal of the confiscated vehicles.

Seizure of assets

Following the arrest, our economic detectives were informed of the case’s jurisdiction. Here, the Polish clients of Kurtz Economic Detective Agency Bielefeld and East Westphalia could file a civil claim for restitution of the €136,000, plus incurred investigation costs and recovery expenses. Several of Mr. Bünde’s assets were seized immediately after his arrest.

 

Kurtz Detective Agency sincerely thanks the State Criminal Police of Hamburg for their exceptionally effective and cooperative collaboration in this case.

Postscript

The perpetrator was sentenced in August 2016 to three years in prison. Due to the length of the sentence, probation was not an option.

Kurtz Detective Agency Bielefeld | Germany

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Herforder Straße 69

D-33602 Bielefeld

Tel.: +49 521 2567 0055

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