German supermarket worker accused of €229,000 deposit voucher fraud

A former supermarket employee in Waldshut-Tiengen, southern Germany, is accused of forging deposit vouchers over several years.

The 37-year-old allegedly submitted 2,299 fake vouchers at the store’s return machines.

The supermarket says he took about €229,000, but he disputes that figure and says he redeemed no more than €45,000 in vouchers.

The case emerged during the store’s annual stocktake, and the supermarket initially agreed with him that he would repay the money in instalments.

The case went to court after he lost his job and stopped paying; he says he signed a debt acknowledgment under pressure from managers.

His former employer told the court that his spending, including expensive watches and a new car, did not match his salary.

The store now limits deposit-bottle returns to €5, a measure introduced after the fraud.