BaFin warns agfafinance.de misuses identity of Agfa Finance N.V. German branch
BaFin says agfafinance.de is suspected of offering banking and financial services without authorisation and is not operated by Agfa Finance N.V.'s German branch, which BaFin calls a case of identity theft.
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Source: bafin.de · published
What happened
Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) warned on October 15, 2026 about offers on the website agfafinance.de. BaFin says it suspects the unknown operators of the site are offering banking business and financial services without the required authorisation.
Contrary to the claims on the site, it is not operated by Agfa Finance N.V. - Zweigniederlassung Deutschland, which BaFin says has no connection whatsoever to the website or the services offered there. BaFin describes this as a case of identity theft: the real firm's name is being impersonated. The warning was issued under section 37(4) of the German Banking Act (KWG).
How the scam works
BaFin notes that anyone offering banking, financial, securities or crypto-asset services or payment services in Germany needs BaFin's authorisation, and that some companies offer such services without it. Whether a company is authorised can be checked in BaFin's company database.
The BaFin notice does not say how the site approached people. In identity-theft cases the operators use a genuine company's name so that searches and register checks appear to confirm the offer; the giveaway is that the website and contact details are not the real company's.
Note: this section describes the general pattern; the BaFin notice itself only states the suspected unauthorised business and the identity theft.
Source
BaFin, "agfafinance(.)de: BaFin warnt vor Website und weist auf Identitätsdiebstahl hin" (October 15, 2026).
Red flags
- A loan, deposit or investment offer on a site that uses a real bank's name but not its official domain.
- A firm whose website and contact details don't match those in BaFin's company database.
- Requests for upfront payments or ID documents.
If you were targeted
- 1Don't invest through the site or send it money or ID documents.
- 2Check whether a firm is authorised in BaFin's company database before investing.
- 3If you have already paid, contact your bank immediately and report it to the police.
- 4If a firm's name seems to be misused, contact the genuine firm through contact details you find yourself.