The autograph forger's

Autographs are sought after by fans and collectors. Especially the rare maps of stars, do not live longer, are real treasures. In the spring a signed Beatles photo for 17.500 € the owner has changed. A real gem. But the higher the price, the greater the risk that fraudsters smell a business. The Internet is the perfect platform for them. More and more people are discovering for themselves a new hobby as collecting autographs of famous personalities.

Sure, that is driven, therefore the signatures of a flourishing trade.
So there is a huge range of celebrity autographs from specialized dealers, autograph fairs or on the Internet. Prices are paid from a few € to five-and six-figure sums for very rare and coveted signatures. Little wonder that the criminals on the plan also calls. It's about easy money! For autograph forgers can with relatively simple means in a short time really make "cash" - usually with the sale on Internet auction houses. But the Imitation of signatures is no longer a new phenomenon. Fraudster's easy Thus forged autographs for over 200 years since it was authorized by Secretary of signatures, as the French King Louis XIV in the 18th Century, the secretaries had to sign for himself, and byCheat. Those have evidently already in 19. Century their nuisance floated and particularly in the English-language area of thousands of falsifications in circulation brought. Autograph counterfeiters spread the wrong signatures on a large scale. The current autograph boom began in the middle of the 90s of the last century and innumerable cheats uses since then the inexperience and naivety of many collecting tanks and fans. Particularly since the world-wide spreading of the Internet and associated anonymity ird it these cheats simply made to spread their falsifications - and that often undisturbed. Hard punishments for cheats

But who is gotten, sensitive punishments threaten that, as the Kasseler attorney Steffn Krnchen explains: " Falsifying of autographs is long no harmless crime! Here as it were a whole puts " Industrie" behind it. In Germany are cases admits become, in those the authors 100,000 euros and more up this way obtained. And that is naturally criminally relevant as fraud! " With appropriate punishments for the authors.

Attorney Kernchen: " Such acts are punished with fine or imprisonment up to one year. That or the authors act professionally or as members volume, even imprisonments threaten from six months to ten years! " Inexperience is used But that does not seem to deter many counterfeiters! Thus discover Autograph experts like Swiss collecting tank and dealer Markus of fire in the Internet daily brazen falsifications - often for much money and dahingekrakelt just as often simply in such a way, without real similarity with the original signature of the prominent one.

The authors build on the inexperience and Leichtgläubigkeit of many fans. Large caution is required Particularly simply it is for it, if suddenly a great many collecting tanks are in the autographs of a star interested, as for example after death of Michael Jackson. Over night thereby the prices which " for genuine signatures, have themselves; King OF Pop" to be required and paid, increases tenfold! Today Michael of Jackson autographs cost some hundreds up to some thousand euros. In the Internet often unnoticed each quantity of autograph falsifications for much money is acquired. For example if the genuine signature of the singer on one of its well-known hats or one of its jackets is. Autograph expert Fire determined directly after Jacksons death that on the sides of Internet Aukionshäusern suddenly hundred autographs adjusted at short notice were offered. Is safe of fire: " Of it were 95 per cent or more completely clearly falsified! " Rather experts guess the direct way therefore to proceed and then of the opposite to be convinced be able always first times from a falsification. On Echthitszertifikate" buyers should rely however only if these of oneappreciative expert comes. In the doubt thus with specialist dealers buy, which are been versed, given usually a warranty and a call to lose have. The only by hundred percent safe way however on falsifications to clean-be assigned does not consist of being able to be given directly from the celebs an autograph! And one saves also still another quantity money!

© Second Channel of German Television 2