Award for German contribution Fakeshop Finder at the European Crime Prevention Award 2025 in Copenhagen

The ECPA 2025 award

On 27 and 28 November 2025, the European Crime Prevention Network (EUCPN) held its Best Practice Conference in Copenhagen, where the European Crime Prevention Award (ECPA) was also presented. The focus of this year's event was ‘Preventing Online Fraud Against Citizens’ – a topic that is particularly relevant to the work of fakeshop-finder.co.uk.

The German project fakeshop-finder.co.uk was awarded third place in the ‘Digital Crime Prevention’ category – a clear confirmation that AI-based solutions have become an integral part of consumer protection.

What does fakeshop-finder.de do?

• AI-supported detection: mindUp's algorithm identifies potential fake shops based on market data, user feedback and web scraping.
• Use by the Consumer Advice Centre: Since its introduction, the tool has been used by the Consumer Advice Centre fakeshop-finder.de to protect consumers from fraudulent online shops.
• More than 5 million uses: In 2025, fakeshop-finder.de was used over 5 million times – proof of the urgency and effectiveness of the solution.

Stay safe on Black Friday

‘The ECPA confirms that AI has become an integral part of consumer protection. We hope that many consumers will be protected from fake shops, especially on Black Friday and in the days to come,’ says Joachim Feist, Managing Director of mindUp Web + Intelligence GmbH.

With the European Crime Prevention Award, the fake shop finder has not only won a prize, but also sent an important message to consumers and retailers: trust AI-supported tools when it comes to avoiding fraudulent online shops.

For further information about the ECPA, the Best Practice Conference or fakeshop-finder.de, please visit the official websites EUCPN and mindUp.