German police are chasing buyers of cheap Windows 10 licenses

[P4-630]

There are numerous websites where relatively inexpensive license keys can be purchased for, for example, Microsoft Windows 10.
For a fraction of the suggested retail price, you can obtain a valid license. However, the source of the keys is often dubious or illegal.

According to sources, the German police will actively approach buyers of cheap license keys in hopes of accusing them of money laundering and copyright infringement.
Although the German authorities have not provided confirmation, several users have reportedly confirmed that they received similar subpoenas from the police after purchasing cheap Windows 10 product keys online from various websites. Some say the keys were bought many years ago, so it's not clear yet what the police will do with this new campaign.

For now, however, it's important to deal with this information with a fair amount of skepticism, especially since it's all based on reporting with no official statement about it.

Duitse politie gaat achter kopers aan van goedkope Windows 10-licenties

Er zijn tal van websites waar relatief goedkope licentiesleutels kunnen worden aangeschaft voor bijvoorbeeld Microsoft Windows 10. Voor een fractie van...

nl.hardware.info

Windows 10 Lizenzkeys: Staatsanwaltschaften verschicken Vorladungen

Noch immer erhalten Käufer von unseriösen Windows 10 Lizenzkeys von eBay & Co. Vorladungen für eine Aussage bei der örtlichen Polizei.

tarnkappe.info

Windows 10: Käufer von Billig-Keys werden zur Polizei vorgeladen

Es ist verlockend, wenn man für Windows nicht mehr als 100 Euro bezahlt, sondern sich auf eBay und Co. für einen Bruchteil davon einen Key holen kann. Doch die Quelle dieser Lizenzen ist meist dubios bis illegal und immer wieder ein Fall für die Staatsanwaltschaft.

winfuture.de

 

[Hachi_Roku256563]

LOL WUT
i always though these keys where just bulk bought oem keys
Also i have never understod the "go after the people who bought the keys"
over go after the people who sell the keys

 

[Bill_Bright]

Also i have never understod the "go after the people who bought the keys"
over go after the people who see the keys

While I agree they need to go after the sellers, the problem is, most of the sellers are in China, Russia or some other country where the German police can't touch them. So the hope is, if they stop people from buying, it will force the sellers out of business.

But it is a two-way street. These buyers know something ain't right when the prices are too good to be true. They just can't get away with saying they didn't know they weren't legit.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

I'd bet its more about the copyright infringement than the money laundering, something they likely tacked on to make it a more scarey thing.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

meanwhile. down under

 

[Caring1]

Sounds like a scam, send us $500 and we won't charge you lol.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

Sounds like a scam, send us $500 and we won't charge you lol.

That's right, send me $500 and I wont blackmail you by not telling people what you didn't do to deserve it.

 

[jboydgolfer]

might get some of their suspects from that scammy Goodoffer24 totally 'legit' windows licenses

 

[GerKNG]

i am German and i checked the articles out.

basically it's an attempt to generate some cash for the state.
people are getting invites to "Self inflict"? (not sure if that's correct) and get sued for supporting money laundry.

never heard something like that until i saw this post here.

Ebay in Germany starts to remove every Windows Key offer as i can see right now.

i don't think that it is anything serious tbh.

 

[StrayKAT]

Must suck being the cop assigned to this.

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

i am German and i checked the articles out.

basically it's an attempt to generate some cash for the state.
people are getting invites to "Self inflict"? (not sure if that's correct) and get sued for supporting money laundry.

never heard something like that until i saw this post here.

Ebay in Germany starts to remove every Windows Key offer as i can see right now.

i don't think that it is anything serious tbh.

They're expecting citizens to hand themselves in with proof to be sued.

Wtafffff.

 

[GerKNG]

They're expecting citizens to hand themselves in with proof to be sued.

Wtafffff.

yeah... kinda.

it's basically just BS. when you get a letter to come to the local police station you just call them and say.. no thanks. in 99/100 cases you're done with it.
on the other side.

we had a similar "wave" of " you visited a streaming website that includes illegal streams of copyright protected content, pay 2000€.
throw the letter away and that's it.

 

[Hachi_Roku256563]

i legit always tho

While I agree they need to go after the sellers, the problem is, most of the sellers are in China, Russia or some other country where the German police can't touch them. So the hope is, if they stop people from buying, it will force the sellers out of business.

But it is a two-way street. These buyers know something ain't right when the prices are too good to be true. They just can't get away with saying they didn't know they weren't legit.

ught it was oem keys
My cheap key i bought in person off a freind
Dell gave it to them

 

[StrayKAT]

Must suck being the cop assigned to this.

I take this back, on second thought. Maybe these are single digit IQ guys off the street and they enjoy threatening non-violent "criminals". I mean, who willingly asks people to come to their station and present all of this tedious "proof" and paperwork. Why would you willingly put yourself through this unless you were already a loser that wanted an easy job?

 

[Bill_Bright]

basically it's an attempt to generate some cash for the state.
people are getting invites to "Self inflict"? (not sure if that's correct) and get sued for supporting money laundry.

Nah!

That's not money laundering!

Money laundering is when you get rid of "cash" money you have already received through illegal activities - like selling drugs or stolen goods. You have to get rid of "launder" all that cash or risk getting the attention of the tax police.

ught it was oem keys

That does not mean anything. I buy OEM keys a lot. That just means it was purchased with the intent of being installed on specific hardware, and that license is meant to stay with that "o"riginal "e"quipment. And I typically pay around $100 - $130 for each license, not a few bucks.

These illegal and unauthorized "too good to be true" keys are typically from "volume" licenses - where a company buys 1000 (for example) volume license, uses 500, then sells the other 500 to someone who sells the rest individually. That is illegal - or at least in violation of the terms of the license. Individual keys are not allowed to be broken out of volume licenses.

 

[Fluffmeister]

Stupid, now jab the over 65's with the AZ vaccine you clowns.

 

[GerKNG]

Nah!

That's not money laundering!

Money laundering is when you get rid of "cash" money you have already received through illegal activities - like selling drugs or stolen goods. You have to get rid of "launder" all that cash or risk getting the attention of the tax police.

Der Verdacht lautet auf leichtfertige Geldwäsche nebst strafbarer Urheberrechtsverletzungen, derer er sich schuldig gemacht haben soll. Er soll dazu eine Aussage machen, sich also selbst belasten.


The suspicion is of frivolous money laundering along with criminal copyright infringements, of which he is said to have been guilty. He should make a statement about this, that is, incriminate himself.

 

[Hachi_Roku256563]

I DONT understand how buying a cheap windows key is money laundering

The suspicion is of frivolous money laundering along with criminal copyright infringements, of which he is said to have been guilty. He should make a statement about this, that is, incriminate himself.i

 

[StrayKAT]

This is still not as pathetic as UK's fapping license. I've been accused of being a prude myself, but come on.

 

[lexluthermiester]

There are numerous websites where relatively inexpensive license keys can be purchased for, for example, Microsoft Windows 10.
For a fraction of the suggested retail price, you can obtain a valid license. However, the source of the keys is often dubious or illegal.

According to sources, the German police will actively approach buyers of cheap license keys in hopes of accusing them of money laundering and copyright infringement.
Although the German authorities have not provided confirmation, several users have reportedly confirmed that they received similar subpoenas from the police after purchasing cheap Windows 10 product keys online from various websites. Some say the keys were bought many years ago, so it's not clear yet what the police will do with this new campaign.

For now, however, it's important to deal with this information with a fair amount of skepticism, especially since it's all based on reporting with no official statement about it.

Duitse politie gaat achter kopers aan van goedkope Windows 10-licenties

Er zijn tal van websites waar relatief goedkope licentiesleutels kunnen worden aangeschaft voor bijvoorbeeld Microsoft Windows 10. Voor een fractie van...

nl.hardware.info

Windows 10 Lizenzkeys: Staatsanwaltschaften verschicken Vorladungen

Noch immer erhalten Käufer von unseriösen Windows 10 Lizenzkeys von eBay & Co. Vorladungen für eine Aussage bei der örtlichen Polizei.

tarnkappe.info

Windows 10: Käufer von Billig-Keys werden zur Polizei vorgeladen

Es ist verlockend, wenn man für Windows nicht mehr als 100 Euro bezahlt, sondern sich auf eBay und Co. für einen Bruchteil davon einen Key holen kann. Doch die Quelle dieser Lizenzen ist meist dubios bis illegal und immer wieder ein Fall für die Staatsanwaltschaft.

winfuture.de

It should be noted, this is not Microsoft doing this. Microsoft has already stated they do not object to these keys being sold. This is German law enforcement acting poorly.

I DONT understand how buying a cheap windows key is money laundering

It's not. There is no court OF JUSTICE anywhere in the world were such a purchase would be charged under money laundering criminal code and stand up to scrutiny. Then again, the German government(after decades of trying to suppress any mention of them) have begun to act like the NAZI order of the past. So who knows what twisted BS will happen there.

This is still not as pathetic as UK's fapping license.

Wait, is that a thing or are you just kidding?

 

[StrayKAT]

Wait, is that a thing or are you just kidding?

No.. It's basically a porn block that you apparently need to pay a "license" to get a key for on porn sites. I'm not sure how it could possibly work though. Sounds like a mess.

 

[Hachi_Roku256563]

t's not. There is no court OF JUSTICE anywhere in the world were such a purchase would be charged under money laundering criminal code and stand up to scrutiny. Then again, the German government(after decades of trying to suppress any mention of them) have begun to act like the NAZI order of the past. So who knows what twisted BS will happen there.

lol im kinda curioios if my windows key is kinda legit
I payed someone for a key that dell sent them cause they misunderstod the issue
It came on a peice of paper and everything

 

[GerKNG]

you guys completely overthink stuff that does not even happen on your continent.

there is literally nothing except a post from a weird website and a case of ONE Person that said something in a telegram group.


i checked every single news website and there is not even a mention in that direction.

 

[P4-630]

What about

Ebay in Germany starts to remove every Windows Key offer as i can see right now.

 

[GerKNG]

What about

well because they remove scams and shady offerings all the time. (and tbh i only checked the first page where almost all of them just lead to a "can't find what you're looking for" page.)

but now i see some 3€ windows 10 pro keys removed.

last week it was netflix vouchers, spotify codes and game keys.


they probably don't want to be the target since they are forced to act in this situation (even if it's just one person)

there are already new ones that are normally available.
even a few ones for less than 3 bucks.