Ordered a huge amount of goods and didn’t pay: 28-year-old man faces prison

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He was sorry, he wanted to apologise and he regretted his criminal actions, he emphasised several times during the trial: the Leipzig Regional Court has now handed down its verdict on a 28-year-old man. For years, the young man had been ordering expensive electronic goods using false personal details and, following a bogus return, had the purchase price refunded without actually returning the goods. Details of the verdict.

The prosecution put the total loss accumulated over the years at more than 224,000 euros: Simon B. (name changed)
had been brought to the dock at the Leipzig Regional Court on charges of commercial forgery of evidence-relevant data, commercial computer fraud in 53 cases, and one serious case of attempted joint fraud. His trial began on Monday, 20 July 2026, with a full confession from the 28-year-old
.

A simple yet effective scam caused enormous damage

According to his confession, having decided to secure a permanent source of income for himself, he repeatedly had expensive electronic goods in the four-figure price range delivered to him between October 2020 and January 2026. Whether MacBooks, system cameras, professional camera lenses, an iPhone, a graphics card or a graphics board: Simon B. was apparently not fussy about the type of product he ordered.

However, Simon B. placed these orders with well-known online retailers using false personal details, then collected the items from petrol stations or parcel shops using a forged power of attorney. Shortly afterwards, he would request a return, submitting supporting documents or handing over parcels, without actually returning the ordered items.

But as customer service centres assumed the returns had been processed correctly, the defendant was reimbursed the high purchase prices and went on to sell the retained items on. It was an effective scheme that had worked for years before Simon B. was arrested in the spring of 2026. During searches, investigators found, amongst other things, large sums of cash and parcels in the young man’s possession.

“It was like a compulsion”

In his confession, Simon B. spoke at length, describing, for example, how he had manipulated identity documents using image-editing software. But what drove him to act in this way? The 28-year-old himself spoke of a kind of compulsion: he said he could no longer stop and had used the money he’d swindled to buy things that, in most cases, meant nothing to him after only a short time. In some cases, Simon B. went on to say, he hadn’t spent the money at all.

He knew that he had caused harm to suppliers and, beyond that, had let people down, particularly his parents. Simon B. also expressed remorse, acknowledging that he was facing a prison sentence and that this was justified.

No appeal: Defendant accepts verdict immediately

His confession was taken into account as a mitigating factor, particularly as it significantly shortened the trial. Last week, the 8th Chamber, presided over by Judge Rüdiger Harr, sentenced him to three years and eight months’ imprisonment. According to the court, the prosecution had sought two months’ more, whilst the defence had sought two months’ less.

The sentence also took into account an attempted fraud, as Simon B. had falsely claimed in legal proceedings that the goods claimed back by a supplier had been dispatched. In this instance, the defendant had allegedly sought to hold the transport provider liable and pocket 7,000 euros in damages. Furthermore, he is said to have been assisted by an employee of a parcel shop in some of his fraudulent acts. The alleged accomplice was charged separately in May 2026.

Simon B. announced that he would make good the damage. He also stated that he intended to enrol in a course whilst in prison as early as August to catch up on his secondary school leaving certificate; he accepted the verdict immediately. The public prosecutor’s office also decided not to appeal. The prison sentence is therefore final.