There is an online shop that looks like ours. Same name, same logo, same product images, same texts. It does not belong to us.
The Address Is launcheuropestore.shopAnyone who orders there receives no goods and instead loses their credit card details.
What This Is About
An exact copy of our shop was created at launcheuropestore.shop. The company name, logo, and product catalogue were copied, and in some cases even our product descriptions.
But this site has nothing to do with LAUNCH Europe. We do not operate it, supply it, or have any connection with its operators.
The Most Important Point in One Sentence
Our official shop is launch-europe-shop.de. Any other shop claiming to be LAUNCH Europe is not operated by us.
What Really Happens at Checkout on the Fake Shop
This is what distinguishes this case from an ordinary fake shop. It is not simply a matter of ordering goods that never arrive. Instead, payment details are stolen in a way that appears genuine.
The Process
- You put a product in your shopping cart and enter your credit card details at checkout.
- A popup opens that looks like your bank's security prompt. You see the Mastercard logo with the heading “Payment Authentication”.
- It essentially says: “We have sent a code to your mobile number ending in 3123. Please enter the code.”
- Then the message “Payment is being processed, please wait a moment” appears.
This security prompt is fake. It does not come from Mastercard or your bank, but from a server abroad.
Why This Is So Dangerous
Your bank's code is the last line of protection for your credit card. That exact code is stolen here.
While you see the loading screen, your card, along with the code you have just entered, is probably being used elsewhere for a genuine purchase. That is why the wait seems so real: something is actually happening in the background.
The Details That Deceive
The fake site shows you your own data: the last four digits of your card, the last four digits of your phone number, and your partially redacted email address. This creates trust because only your bank should know these details.
In fact, you yourself entered all this information into the order form two minutes earlier.
The payment service provider notice is also fabricated
The fake site says that the payment goes to a well-known payment service provider. This is completely fabricated. The shop has no payment service provider connected at all. There is no payment going anywhere; only your data is being stolen.
You ordered there? Here is what to do now
Act today, not only when a debit appears. Your card number is already in the hands of strangers.
- Have your card blocked immediately. Through your bank or the blocking emergency number 116 116. Do not wait to see whether anything happens.
- Report this to your bank as phishing. Explicitly state that the shop and the confirmation page were fake and that you entered the code on a fraudulent page. Do not report it as “goods not delivered”. It will be handled differently.
- Report it to the police. Online via your federal state’s internet police station.
- Change your passwords if you also use the fake shop password elsewhere.
Expect a call
Shortly afterwards, supposed bank employees often contact you and ask for another code, supposedly to secure or confirm the card.
These are usually the same perpetrators. Your bank will never ask you for a confirmation code. Hang up and call the number shown on your card.
Why the price is the bait
The fake shop does not advertise. There are no ads on Google, Facebook or Instagram. Visitors arrive through a normal Google search, lured by the price.
An example from our range: A device that costs 699 euros from us is offered there for the equivalent of around 280 euros. About 60 percent below the regular price.
How to recognise a fake shop
These characteristics do not apply only to this case. Check them for every shop you do not know.
Before ordering
- No legal notice. Required in Germany. If it is missing or does not contain sufficient information, the shop is most likely not reputable. On a fake shop, the legal notice, privacy policy and terms and conditions usually lead nowhere.
- No reachable contact address. Check the email address provided. The domain of the fake shop's support address does not even exist. Emails cannot be delivered.
- Prices far below market level. Current technology is not available at a 50–70% discount.
- Foreign currency. A German-language shop charges in euros. If another currency suddenly appears at checkout, be cautious.
- Unusual domain extension. Check the exact spelling of the address, not just the brand name it contains.
- Inappropriate text fragments. The fake shop's shipping terms refer to "fashion selection" and "fashion orders." This would not appear on an official automotive diagnostic equipment provider's website.
When paying
- Security prompts belong in your banking app. Modern approvals are handled through your bank's app or a familiar TAN procedure, not through a shop window asking for an SMS code.
- Check your bank's approval text. The genuine approval message includes the merchant name and amount. If either does not match your order, cancel it.
- If in doubt, cancel. A cancelled order costs you nothing. A code you share could cost you dearly.
The simplest check
We offer our official, free shop check specifically for cases like this. Fill out the form, and we will send you the result within 24–48 hours. Go to the shop check.
What we are doing
We have fully documented the case and are taking action against it through several channels.
Our analysis also showed that this is not an isolated case: More than one hundred other fake shops are hosted on the same server, copying other well-known brands in exactly the same way.
We expect the site to be taken down. However, we also expect the operators to try again under a new domain. That is why it is more important to recognize the scam than to focus on a single domain.
Our genuine shop address
So you can check it if in doubt:
- Our shop: launch-europe-shop.de