{"id":7333,"date":"2025-05-19T12:01:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T10:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atb.law\/?post_type=blog-post&p=7333"},"modified":"2026-06-07T22:01:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T20:01:51","slug":"book-publishers-credit-intermediaries-and-banks-their-rights-in-scams-with-facsimile","status":"publish","type":"blog-post","link":"https:\/\/atb.law\/en\/blog-post\/buchverlage-kreditvermittler-und-banken-ihre-rechte-bei-abzocke-mit-faksimile\/","title":{"rendered":"Book publishers, loan brokers, and banks: Your rights in facsimile scams"},"content":{"rendered":"
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    The initial contact: Facsimile scam through the misuse of historical address data<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    The first step in facsimile scams is often unexpected contact, in which the victims are approached by phone or in person by dubious publishing representatives. A central element here is the targeted access to old address lists from former book clubs \u2013 such as Brockhaus or Bertelsmann. In the 1980s and 1990s, these publishers had millions of members who purchased high-quality encyclopedias and book series. Although these book clubs have long since been dissolved, their former customer data appears to have fallen into the hands of shady booksellers.<\/p>\n

    Especially elderly people are persuaded to buy allegedly valuable facsimiles or replicas of historical works \u2013 such as old Bibles or documents. Often under the pretext that they only need to acquire a few other rare copies for the book collection to achieve a high collector's value. Unfortunately, the unsuspecting buyers do not realize that they are being ripped off because they are actually being fobbed off with worthless fakes.<\/p>\n

    Creeping cost trap: How shady publishers systematically bind victims<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    A typical feature of the scam is the providers\u201e long-term strategy: the victims are not contacted just once, but repeatedly over months or even years\u2014often by different publishers acting in a similar manner. The trick remains the same. At regular intervals, the publisher's representatives offer supposedly exclusive books or facsimiles, allegedly rare collector's items of high value. To fake legitimacy, buyers receive elaborately designed \u201ccertificates of authenticity\u201e or so-called \u201cappraisals\" with every delivery. These documents look convincing, but in reality they are meaningless. Thus, many victims gradually fall into financial dependency, investing large sums bit by bit\u2014always in the belief that they are building a valuable collection that can later be sold for a profit.<\/p>\n

    Sales promises for a fee: The scam with the book registries<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    At the latest when the victims have barely any financial resources left to buy more facsimiles, the providers resort to a new trick: They claim that the book collection can be sold successfully within a short time if it is appraised beforehand and entered into a special book registry. Conveniently, the publishers\u201e representatives often even \u201coffer\" this service themselves\u2014either for fees as part of subscription models or seemingly free of charge if the victims allow themselves to be persuaded into buying another book. Thus, the victims come under even greater financial pressure and continue to invest in a book collection that actually has virtually no market value.<\/p>\n

    Publishers lure, loan brokers cash in: The double burden for pensioners<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Once the victims\u201e savings are completely depleted, the representatives keep going anyway. The next tempting \u201coffer\" follows: a loan so that perhaps yet another book can be bought or at least the supposedly sales-boosting registration in book registries can be paid for. The financing is handled by external loan brokers. Many of the victims\u2014mostly elderly people with low pensions\u2014do not realize what this means in the long term. The monthly loan installments are unaffordable for the victims' household budgets in the long run. In the end, rather than realizing the hoped-for increase in value through the loan-financed measures, the victims face a life-threatening financial burden.<\/p>\n

    Have claims reviewed: Why those affected should seek legal advice<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    For victims of facsimile scams, there are generally ways to take legal action and get the lost money back:<\/p>\n