Master watchmaker Peter-Jesko Buse in his Mainz workshop. He restores complicated luxury watches and historical timepieces. (Photo: © Carola Schmitt, Mainz)
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Businesses with a good reputation are particularly attractive to online fraudsters. The renowned master watchmaker Peter-Jesko Buse from Mainz fought back against criminals who had faked his online shop.
Master watchmaker Peter-Jesko Buse from Mainz I am currently experiencing how quickly a good name abused on the internet can be. The 83-year-old has been restoring complicated luxury watches and historical timepieces for around 60 years. His preference is for old watches. Pilot and military watchesHe manufactures missing parts such as balance staffs, gears, or levers as needed. manual because suitable original parts for such old watches are hardly available on the market anymore. A particular challenge is the restoration of high-quality cases for wristwatches and pocket watches. For him, it's not just a job: "Why should I stop? As long as I'm fit, I'll do what I love most," he emphasizes. His customers come from around the world and appreciate his high level of expertise.
However, at the end of February 2026, there was a surprising trouble...the likes of which he had never experienced in his entire business career. An alleged customer contacted him and inquired about an Omega Speedmaster he had ordered, for which he had already transferred 800 euros. The watchmaker was completely baffled, as he had never heard of such a sale. He knew nothing.
He then searched the internet and found a external website, who bore a striking resemblance to him. "She was very professionally forged"It contained my address and even my VAT ID, which the fraudsters had taken from the legal notice of my legitimate website," Buse explains. The fraudulent website appeared legitimate at first glance because it didn't promise unrealistic bargains and used a seemingly correct legal notice.
Unlike the original, however, the fake shop problematic conditions: Payment was only accepted via prepayment or bank transfer. Secure payment methods such as credit card or PayPal were missing, as was buyer protection. According to the consumer protection agency, these are typical scams. Warning signalsThe other shop also offered watches that the craftsman didn't sell at all, such as Apple Watches and other sports watches.
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Operations management
Buse's high standards of craftsmanship highlight just how unfair it is that the fraudsters used his name. For him, the whole affair is not only very unpleasant, but also... at risk also his good reputation as a master craftsman"It's just indecent to swindle other people like that," he vented his anger. The fake shop has already cost the watchmaker a lot of time and even more nerves.
More and more victims are contacting the Mainz resident. He estimates the number is now... approximately 80 defrauded customerswho paid between 800 and 6.000 euros. Some of them even wanted to hold him personally liable – which is not legally possible. "However, we were still able to contact some of them." warn against buying, because she researched the real phone number beforehand and immediately Called us “Have,” Buse explains. This allowed him to protect at least a few potential buyers from a loss.
He directly Criminal complaint refunded because fake shops are illegal – among other things because of fraud. StGB § 263Unfortunately, the public prosecutor's office discontinued the proceedings after two weeks because they deemed the The perpetrators could not be identified. could. Because such shops are often operated from abroad, with false identities and concealed payment methods.
Mainz police confirm that this scam is currently widespread. Even if a website disappears, it quickly reappears under a new name. "You can see that..." not defending themselves properly"That's the problem," laments Buse.
At least: On his own initiative, the craftsman was able to ensure that the fraudulent Website shut down was. He and his employee conducted their own investigations to find out. "We researched and the denic “We contacted the company where the fake shop was registered,” explains Buse’s employee, Bouchra Chbouki. Denic (German Network Information Center) is the central administrative and registration office for all internet addresses ending in ".de". They were successful here: The fake site is no longer accessible. (More tips for First aid (For fake shops, see the info box below.)
Incidentally, the real website of watchmaker Peter-Jesko Buse is still... fliegeruhren-buse.de; the fraudulent address used only his first names: peterjeskouhren.de.
This case shows that even small and medium-sized businesses quickly Target of online fraud They can become victims. Those with a good reputation are particularly attractive to fraudsters. Therefore, tradespeople should ensure their... Check online data regularly and actively direct customers to the official website. Customers should always carefully check the website, phone number, and payment method! If unsure, it's best to call the business directly before ordering.
The same applies here: Education is the most effective protection Buse's aim is clear: "I want to warn other tradespeople and their customers so they don't also fall victim to such fraudsters." And he wants to dedicate more time to his beloved watches again, instead of chasing cybercriminals.
If your webshop has been counterfeited, quick action is crucial to protect your company's reputation and prevent damage.
Easily secure See all the details of the fake website before it goes offline or is changed:
Screenshots: Take screenshots of the homepage, the legal notice (often misused with your real data), the terms and conditions and the product pages.
Technical specifications: Note the URL and determine via a Whois query the domain registrar and hosting provider.
Criminal complaintReport fraud and identity theft to the police immediately (in person or by email). via an online police stationThis also protects you from potential claims for damages from deceived customers.
lawyer Turn on: A lawyer specializing in IT law can help. Warning to obtain or apply for an injunction to take the site offline as quickly as possible.
Contact your hosting provider: Send an abuse report to the host of the fake site and demand its immediate deletion.
Inform the registrar: Report the trademark infringement to the domain registrar (e.g., ). denic for .de domains).
Own Inform customers: Warn customers about the fake on your real website, via newsletters, and on social media. Provide clear indicators that customers can use to identify the original (such as payment methods and a correct URL).
Warning messages: Report the fake page as phishing or web fraud so that it is removed from search results and marked as dangerous in browsers. Optionally, you can also WatchlistInternet or during Consumer advice centre .
Inform us about used payment service (such as PayPal or Wero), in case the fraudsters try to open accounts in your name or with your data.
Use tools like Google Alerts, in order to stay informed if than Fake websites may appear. Set up an alert for your shop name, and multiple alerts with different keywords and variations related to your business. Implement protective measures such as... Watermark on images or brand monitoring tools.
Source: digital-sicher.nrw
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