According to Wirtschaftswoche, it was offered the bank data of 21 million citizens for EUR 12 million (approx. USD 15 million). As an example, the magazine received a CD containing 1.2 million data sets. The purchase price was not paid, however, and the CD was handed over to the prosecution authority of Düsseldorf, as the news agency Associated Press reported on 7 December 2008.

The German Interior Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, called for stronger data protection laws in the 9 December 2008 issue of Wirtschaftswoche. On the other hand, however, he told Bavarian Radio that existing laws were generally sufficient although enforcement needs to be strengthened.

The prosecution authority of Düsseldorf told Wirtschaftswoche that the investigation was just getting started and that a first inspection had shown that the data sets contain bank numbers, but so far no information on the financial situation of the affected persons, as Wirtschaftswoche had previously reported.

Nils Schröder, the data protection officer of the Federal State of Northrhine-Westfalia, called for an obligation on companies to inform clients or customers regarding any loss or theft of data.