0:00:02 > 0:00:07These are ordinary houses in an ordinary street and they could be anywhere in the country,
0:00:07 > 0:00:12but the house I'm in, is stuffed with fake goods and your home could be, too.
0:00:12 > 0:00:18Welcome to a world where everything is not quite as it seems.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Police! Stay where you are.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40In this series, I'll investigate the world of fakes and forgeries
0:00:40 > 0:00:43and show you how not to get conned.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I'll be looking at things like fake cars, fake cash,
0:00:46 > 0:00:51even fake medicines, but today, I am looking at fake people.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Yes, con artists who are pretending to be someone they're not.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Coming up on the programme...
0:00:59 > 0:01:01- We are in.- Police. Move the door.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06Fake workers. And the Border Agency team's tracking them down.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09We meet Heathrow Airport's expert forgery spotters.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14That is not a photograph of you. I know that you are lying to me about what your name is.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18She thought she'd married a doctor but she'd married a fake.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22I said my name's Georgina Miles, who are you...
0:01:22 > 0:01:26because it seemed quite clear that I knew nothing about this man
0:01:26 > 0:01:28who, just two weeks ago, I'd married.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31And no training and no qualifications -
0:01:31 > 0:01:36the story of the fake dentist who conned 600 patients.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40The list of risks will go on and on and on
0:01:40 > 0:01:45and in the worst-case scenario, might of course lead to patient death.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54First, we join the front line of the battle against fake people.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57This is an enforcement team from the UK Border Agency.
0:01:57 > 0:02:04One of their biggest targets are people who are in the UK illegally and using fake ID to stay here.
0:02:08 > 0:02:16It's barely 6am, but two illegal workers in Surrey are about to get an early wake-up call.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21We are in.
0:02:21 > 0:02:27The Border Agency think they've identified two men living here who are working in the UK illegally.
0:02:27 > 0:02:33To help them prove it, they need to find whatever fake documents the men have been using to fool employers.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37- So are you Brazilian?- Yes.- Yeah. OK.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38Are you working at the moment?
0:02:38 > 0:02:41- Yeah.- You are. Do you want to put the T-shirt on?
0:02:41 > 0:02:43- Yeah, no problem.- Yeah.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47A Brazilian working in the UK would need to have sponsorship
0:02:47 > 0:02:51from his employer, but this chap's got something else instead.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53We found a Portuguese ID card.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57It was just out on the side, on his unit, in his wallet,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01so he's been using it every day, and we know it's a forgery.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04So, we know that he's Brazilian and not Portuguese.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09And there are certain things in the card that tell you that it's genuine or a forgery.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13The Border team think this man came on holiday and overstayed,
0:03:13 > 0:03:16and he just bought the fake ID and started working.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19They think his housemate has done the same.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24I'm further arresting you for being in possession of an identity card that is not yours.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28The second man also had a fake Portuguese ID card.
0:03:28 > 0:03:35As an EU member, a legitimate Portuguese ID card would allow the holder to work here legally.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39But the game's up. By the end of the week, they were deported back to Brazil.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Heathrow, the world's busiest international airport.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54More than 60 million passengers pass through here every year,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56but some are not who they say they are.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03The airport has a team of specialist anti-forgery officers, experts at spotting
0:04:03 > 0:04:08the fraudulent documents used to get in to the country illegally.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15Immigration officers in the terminal are highly suspicious of a woman who has just landed.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17They decide to reject her passport.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22It's up to forgery officer, Gary Reeves, to see if she is who she claims to be.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27Well, the lady's flown in today from Lagos, via Casablanca.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31And when she arrived here, she presented her passport.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35The immigration officer on the desk had a quick look at the passport,
0:04:35 > 0:04:41looked at the photo on the biodata page and on the visa, and didn't think it was the passenger.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43She thought the passenger was an impersonator.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Gary suspects the passenger has bought a stolen passport.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52Photographs of the real holder are printed directly on the page.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55But in other places, the photos only have to be stuck on.
0:04:55 > 0:05:01Gary thinks the real ones have been replaced with photos of the woman, sitting in front of him.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- I can't tell you lies. - Well, you are, you are.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07This is not you.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10This is a photograph of you.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15This is a photograph of you.
0:05:15 > 0:05:21But that is not a photograph of you. And this is definitely not a photograph of you, is it?
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Gary has tried to see if the woman wants to come clean.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32No joy. But he's about to produce one crucial piece of evidence.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35We issued a visa to this lady here...
0:05:35 > 0:05:39look at the photo... and we took her fingerprints.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42You understand that?
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Now, when we took your fingerprints earlier on,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48we have checked your fingerprints against this lady's
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and they are not the same.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Do you have anything to tell me now?
0:05:58 > 0:06:02What you will gain from lying is that if you don't tell me who you are,
0:06:02 > 0:06:03you think I can't send you back home.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07I know that you are lying to me about what your name is,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10so I will not be able to believe anything else you tell me.
0:06:10 > 0:06:18The woman won't change her story, but Gary feels he has overwhelming evidence she is a fake.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22Later... she was refused entry to the UK.
0:06:27 > 0:06:34As well as millions of people, Heathrow Airport also handles over a million tonnes of cargo every year.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37And the Border Agency know that somewhere amongst the packages,
0:06:37 > 0:06:42fraudsters are attempting to smuggle in the means to create fake identities.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45A lot of our work is intelligence-led
0:06:45 > 0:06:47where we'll target perhaps,
0:06:47 > 0:06:52a specific importer, or a particular country or countries,
0:06:52 > 0:06:57perhaps known to export a lot of false identity documents.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Straightaway, Russ has found a package that doesn't feel right.
0:07:00 > 0:07:06The description on the package is copper fittings.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09So, it might be a sample
0:07:09 > 0:07:13which has come through from China to a company in this country.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15But when we open it up...
0:07:15 > 0:07:19we've actually got six of these.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22And these are... They look like
0:07:22 > 0:07:23embossing seals...
0:07:25 > 0:07:29..for Nottingham Trent University.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34So, you'd presumably use those to make a false degree certificate...
0:07:34 > 0:07:37or forge some type of educational paperwork.
0:07:37 > 0:07:43A UK forger could be having these sent in, and if people are buying fake certificates,
0:07:43 > 0:07:48they'll use them to convince employers they've got important qualifications.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52They could be taking jobs at the expense of legitimate candidates.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56And the search has turned up another suspicious find.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59It's a fast parcel,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03and it's come from West Africa, from Lagos, in Nigeria...
0:08:03 > 0:08:07and contains a brown paper envelope.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10And, inside the envelope...
0:08:11 > 0:08:14..is a magazine.
0:08:14 > 0:08:15When you open the magazine up,
0:08:15 > 0:08:20inside, there's this concealment
0:08:20 > 0:08:23which they've made out of carbon paper
0:08:23 > 0:08:28because they believe that x-rays can't get through it.
0:08:28 > 0:08:34When that was opened, there was a passport inside.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38We're going to detain this package and we'll refer it to the NDFU,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40the National Document Forgery Unit.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45They'll be able to use their expertise to tell us whether the passport is a forgery or not.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58This is the secret base of the National Document Fraud Unit.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01We can't reveal its location for security reasons,
0:09:01 > 0:09:07but the teams here have worked on high-profile cases like Lockerbie and the shoe bomber, Richard Reid.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11They are the country's foremost experts in identifying counterfeits.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15And in Fake Britain, they are being kept busy.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Right now, they've got the passport from Heathrow to examine.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20It's a Nigerian passport...
0:09:20 > 0:09:26but what jumps out at me immediately, is the fact that the top portion of the page is blue.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Ordinary Nigerian passports, the page should be green.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35The blue passports are reserved for service passports
0:09:35 > 0:09:38so it's the wrong type of page for this particular passport.
0:09:38 > 0:09:44I'm just going to have a quick look at the actual document, itself.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49This is a genuine Nigerian passport that I'm just going to use for comparison.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54Nigerian passports, the image of the holder is printed, digitally, directly on to the page.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I'm just going to magnify that.
0:09:58 > 0:10:04So, zooming right in on the image, you can see that the image
0:10:04 > 0:10:08is printed using a series of dots and they're in a specific pattern.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Having a look then, at the document in question,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15you can see that the image structure there, is just different
0:10:15 > 0:10:19to the one we've just seen, so that, to me, hasn't been printed
0:10:19 > 0:10:22by the Nigerian Authorities. Also looking at the printed text,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26you've got this green text, here, which is printed onto the laminate.
0:10:26 > 0:10:33You can see there's quite a few breaks in the text and damage to the text, to the G, in particular.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37And also, elsewhere there are parts where the ink is missing.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40I'll show you what the genuine should look like.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47There you go. You can see you've got quite solid lines of text...
0:10:47 > 0:10:49solid blocks of ink.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53In my opinion, this document is a forgery.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55The laminate's been split away.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57The original page has been removed and a new page,
0:10:57 > 0:11:02with a new holder's details and new image, has been inserted into the laminate pouch.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04So this document is a forgery.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09As a result of this confirmation, Nigerian Wellington Otoghele
0:11:09 > 0:11:15was arrested and given a 20-week jail sentence for attempting to obtain a fake passport.
0:11:15 > 0:11:21He wasn't tricky to arrest. His name and address were on the front of the envelope found by the Border Agency.
0:11:26 > 0:11:32Coming up... She thought she'd married a doctor in the British Army, but she'd married a fake.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35And the very real danger with fake gas-fitters.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38The paperwork wasn't correct.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40It was all forged.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44How much do we really know about the people around us?
0:11:44 > 0:11:48You know, the people we work with, or the people who might even knock at our door.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53Well, one of the most frightening identity frauds in Fake Britain
0:11:53 > 0:11:57could be happening on a road right near you.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02This covert surveillance video from the Driving Standards Agency
0:12:02 > 0:12:06shows the man on the right about to take a practical driving test.
0:12:06 > 0:12:0840 minutes later, he had passed,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12as he had done many times before across the country.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14But he's not the real candidate.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16He's passing tests for other people.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20He's put dozens of potentially dangerous, unqualified drivers
0:12:20 > 0:12:23on the roads. And he's not the only one.
0:12:23 > 0:12:30This man walked into a driving test centre in Liverpool, to take the theory section of a driving test.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34You need to pass this as well as the practical test to get your licence.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39But on the same day, here he is again doing the same thing.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43But this time, down in Coventry, and he's given a different name.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48Weeks later, he's at Wolverhampton to take another driving theory test,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50again, under a different name.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52After that, he's in Stockport.
0:12:52 > 0:12:58He's given a different name, but once again, he's here for a driving theory test.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03But this man isn't taking the test time and time again because he keeps failing,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07he's taking it because he keeps passing - on behalf of other people.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10He is a fake candidate.
0:13:10 > 0:13:16He's part of a criminal gang, who, for up to £1,500, will pass your driving test for you.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20And they don't care how unsafe your driving is on the road, afterwards.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Some people have a perception that this is done by friends
0:13:24 > 0:13:27doing it for friends, or family, but it's not.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31The vast majority, 99%, of this, is done by organised crime gangs.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Hello. Police. Can you open the door, please?
0:13:35 > 0:13:39But, today could be a bad day for the theory test faker.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41The Driving Standards Agency and the police
0:13:41 > 0:13:44have tracked him down to this flat.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Someone's in, but it's not the suspect. He's gone to work.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48Hello there.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57The police believe he's left important evidence at home,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and they think they've seen this jacket before.
0:14:02 > 0:14:07We've got the image of a person taking somebody else's test.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11If he decides that he's going to deny that the image is his,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14then having the clothing seized from his home address,
0:14:14 > 0:14:19that appears on the image, assists.
0:14:19 > 0:14:25The DSA team know the factory where the man works, so it's time to pay a visit there.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30Later, we'll discover if they finally found the test faker.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39In Birmingham city centre, parking your car can be an expensive business,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and that's led some people to commit a shameless fraud.
0:14:42 > 0:14:48They're pretending to be disabled, because one of these badges means you can park for free.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53This is one of the areas identified, over the last few weeks,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57where there's a very high proportion of vehicles displaying blue badges
0:14:57 > 0:14:58being parked, during the day.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03We've come to see if those vehicles turn up again today, to see who's driving them,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06and to try and confirm our suspicions that the person
0:15:06 > 0:15:10holding the blue badge is not the one using the vehicle.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Gary and Rachel are from the council's Blue Badge fraud team.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18They've had this small stretch of road under surveillance for several days.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21The same vehicles are parked here every day...
0:15:21 > 0:15:23and displaying blue badges.
0:15:23 > 0:15:29The council have checked who the badges belong to, and it's not the people they see parking the cars.
0:15:29 > 0:15:35It's an offence to use a blue badge, unless the person it was issued to is in the car.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40First off, they've seen this Mini parking here before, with a blue badge.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- That one should be Mrs- BLEEP, - aged 83.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Well, she's certainly not 83.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48- I'd put her in her mid-40s... - But watch this one...
0:15:48 > 0:15:53The driver is off, without paying to park, and has this in her front window.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56But she's not entitled to a disabled badge.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59And she hasn't got a disabled person with her.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01It is quite widespread...
0:16:01 > 0:16:06if you consider there's something like 45,000 disabled badges
0:16:06 > 0:16:10just being issued by Birmingham Social Services.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13That's just Birmingham, not counting the surrounding areas.
0:16:13 > 0:16:18There is a significant proportion of those which are being misused,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22to evade parking charges for people going to work.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26So, the cheats are saving money on parking, that the rest of us have to pay for.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29And there's fewer spaces for genuine disabled drivers.
0:16:29 > 0:16:36As the morning rush-hour kicks in, the disability fakers are coming, thick and fast.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39This Rover's parked up on the street displaying a blue badge.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42The driver is simply walking away.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I would say he's late 20s, early 30s.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49He's just crossing over. It's obviously a misuse, it's issued to a female.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53And as the team sit up and observe, the fakers keep coming.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Male again, with beard. Purple shirt.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Black trousers. Again, early 30s.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01The badge belongs to a female.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06Gary and Rachel have a list of all the vehicles they've seen parked here regularly.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Moments later, there's another.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11She's putting the badge on now.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Oh, that's right. Yeah.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Female in a purple top.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Grey trousers, carrying a handbag.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20The white Mini's been seen here several times
0:17:20 > 0:17:24but it's not been driven by the 65-year-old the blue badge in its window was issued to.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29And by the end of the rush hour, this one stretch of road in central Birmingham,
0:17:29 > 0:17:34is half full with fakers, parking for free, with disabled badges.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37But all the cheats are in for a big surprise.
0:17:37 > 0:17:43Birmingham Council has got a special weapon in the fight against fraudsters.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46It's the quickest tow-away truck in the west.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49This side loader was brought in specially from the States.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53There's no quicker vehicle for towing a motor away.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58A few streets away, this car shows the lengths some fakers will go to.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02In fact, the badge holder passed away some time ago, so it's in fact,
0:18:02 > 0:18:07been used by someone, probably I would suspect in the family,
0:18:07 > 0:18:09after the person's passed away.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16To get that vehicle back, those people will now have to pay
0:18:16 > 0:18:19the penalty charge notice which is £25 at the reduced rate...
0:18:19 > 0:18:25and £105 recovery. That's a total of £130 to get their vehicle back.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27So much for saving money on parking.
0:18:27 > 0:18:33Everyone who's been found using a blue badge fraudulently here will be taken to court by the council.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36They could be fined up to £1,000.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40This is a crime that's on the rise across Britain,
0:18:40 > 0:18:45so other councils are introducing fraud units like this one, to beat the blue badge cheats.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55Coming up - the woman whose new husband turned out to be a fake.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58It seemed quite clear that I knew nothing
0:18:58 > 0:18:59about this man I'd just married.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04And to cap it all, fears over the fake dentist.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08It's a serious threat, not only to the patient under treatment
0:19:08 > 0:19:14but all the other staff in the general practice and even the dentists, themselves.
0:19:14 > 0:19:20But first, remember the man who was turning up to take those driving theory tests?
0:19:20 > 0:19:21He's not the real candidate.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24He's part of a gang who'll pass your driving test for you...
0:19:24 > 0:19:26if you pay them enough.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30But West Midlands Police and the Driving Standards Agency
0:19:30 > 0:19:37think they've tracked the man in the CCTV footage down - and this is the place where he works.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42If they're right about him, he's put a lot of unqualified drivers on our roads.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Police have gone in with one of my colleagues.
0:19:44 > 0:19:50We're going to speak to the main manager and arrange for our target
0:19:50 > 0:19:53to come out, and arrest him, probably in the reception area.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Officers inside have immediately found their suspect.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02Police believe this might be another coat that's been spotted on CCTV.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05We've got a very good impersonator in custody.
0:20:05 > 0:20:11A good day because if, at the end of it, when we've interviewed him,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15we know more about the organisation and can build the investigation, I'll be very happy.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20Fake driving test applicants are a major worry for driving examiners.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23If we're getting impersonators doing theory tests,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25that's quite serious in road safety terms.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29It means we could potentially have people getting a driving licence
0:20:29 > 0:20:32who haven't got that skill and knowledge to drive safely.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37The Driving Standards Agency fraud team have more than 1,000 ongoing investigations.
0:20:37 > 0:20:44Anyone found guilty of paying this man to take a test for them will have their licence revoked.
0:20:44 > 0:20:51The DSA suspect that could be as many as 100 people who are driving without passing their test.
0:20:56 > 0:21:02In 2007, the worst floods for a generation hit Hull.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06The Yardley family were left with £40,000 worth of damage to their home.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09- It was just devastation, wasn't it? - Devastation.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13We'd refurbished all our house only a couple of years before.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15I thought our house was just as we wanted it.
0:21:15 > 0:21:20Then during the 25th, the floods, everything was just destroyed.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25They didn't realise they were about to be become victims twice over.
0:21:25 > 0:21:31The water had claimed their home and a conman was about to put their lives in danger.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34The Yardleys found a local builder -
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Andrew McClatchey, who said he could fix their home
0:21:37 > 0:21:40and repair the all-important gas works, safely.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44His paperwork said he was properly Corgi-registered.
0:21:44 > 0:21:45We did ask him,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48there's the gas work to do, this, that and the other,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50and he said "Yeah, I can do it all".
0:21:50 > 0:21:53McClatchey got the job of fixing up the house
0:21:53 > 0:21:57and the Yardleys started looking forward to getting their lives back.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59McClatchey did the building work quite well,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02but he also worked on the gas boiler and the fire.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04No problem, they thought.
0:22:04 > 0:22:11While our builder was working on the house, my sister-in-law's boiler had packed in.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13It was right near Christmas...
0:22:13 > 0:22:15you know, "I need to get a gas-fitter to do my boiler".
0:22:15 > 0:22:19I said, "The one working on our house, he's Corgi-registered...
0:22:19 > 0:22:24"he can come and do it." So he did it as like a guvvy to her, helped her out, she was really pleased.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29A few months later, one morning, all the ceiling had gone in, all the ceiling had collapsed.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33The insurance said it's nothing to do with your water or anything,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36it's your boiler. Who has fitted this boiler?
0:22:36 > 0:22:40There were pages and pages of faults and they said, he's not Corgi-registered.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45They couldn't find him on the site. And then they said, well, do you know anyone else
0:22:45 > 0:22:48who he's done gas work for? They need the gas work checking.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Jenny and Dean were stunned to discover they'd employed a fake fitter.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57The Corgi inspectors came to check the work he'd done for them.
0:22:57 > 0:23:02- They came and shut us off straight away.- Soon as he saw the pipe-work on the fire...
0:23:02 > 0:23:06straight to the meter, check it... it was leaking.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09And that was it. He just capped us off and went on his way.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- So you had no gas.- We had no gas, no hot water, nothing.
0:23:12 > 0:23:19Having found a leak, the inspector could see the Yardleys were sitting on a gas time bomb.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23This image illustrates what can happen to a family home
0:23:23 > 0:23:26when a gas leak goes unchecked.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Carbon monoxide poisoning is also a real danger,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34but the Yardleys thought their builder knew how to handle gas.
0:23:34 > 0:23:40Obviously, the paperwork wasn't correct. It was all forged.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47A new engineer had to be brought in to fix the gas leak and make their home safe.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52And looking back, you think, well, why didn't we, you know, ask to see a card.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56You see it on the paper so you believe it, don't you, you know.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- But we should have asked. - And probably like all good fakes,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01they're good at being fake, aren't they?
0:24:01 > 0:24:05It turned out that McClatchey had been warned by Corgi before
0:24:05 > 0:24:08for claiming to be a registered fitter.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13This time, he was taken to court and fined £550.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16The Yardleys think he got off lightly.
0:24:16 > 0:24:22Basically, just give him your set of keys and let himself in on a night and murder you both in bed.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Because that is basically what could have happened.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28You know, if the gas leak had carried on.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Gas and cowboys do not mix.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38And here's an expert who knows a thing or two about both of them.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Phil, thanks for coming along. How big a problem is it?
0:24:42 > 0:24:45It's quite a big problem. We did some research recently,
0:24:45 > 0:24:51that identified that there are over 7,500 illegal gas fitters operating within Great Britain.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54We estimate that that could be up to a quarter of a million gas jobs
0:24:54 > 0:24:57that they do in yours and mine homes, every year.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02There is confusion out there because one minute you had Corgi, now you've got Gas Safe.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06- What's happened? - Well, since 1st April 2009,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10Gas Safe Register is the only legal body that you can do gas work, as a business, within Great Britain.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15So if anybody comes along with an old Corgi card, don't touch it.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18The only way, Dom, is to check their individual ID card.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20For example, this one I've got,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24that shows you my picture, it shows you I work for Gas Safe Register.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29It's got a unique licence number which you can check via our website,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32to check that I am registered, and more importantly,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36as well as the details on the front, you must turn it over and see what it says on the back.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39For example, if you want someone to quote for your gas boiler,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43and it's not listed "gas boilers", then that person can't do that type of work.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Thing is, Phil, this whole programme has been about fakes and forgeries.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- Someone could get one of these. How can they double-check? - What they need to do,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55they can ring us up on a free phone number or get on our website -
0:25:55 > 0:25:56gassaferegister.co.uk
0:25:56 > 0:26:01It's three easy steps, click of a mouse, to check that the business or engineer
0:26:01 > 0:26:04that's walked through your door is the person they say they are.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07If somebody comes along with a card, that's it, phone up,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10say this is the person, this is the reference number...
0:26:10 > 0:26:12or go online, and everything on there is up-to-date.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17It's up-to-date. If you think you've had any unsafe work, or illegal gas work,
0:26:17 > 0:26:23please contact us, and our team will be out there to investigate, to get the evidence, to catch these cowboys.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Coming up - they'll tell you lies to get into your home.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34They're the doorstep fakers.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38And this man said he was a doctor and a soldier...
0:26:38 > 0:26:40but, he's a fake.
0:26:40 > 0:26:46It takes at least five years to qualify as a doctor, or a dentist.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49But some people, they can't be bothered with all that hard work
0:26:49 > 0:26:52and they are practising on people like you and me.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Meet the fake dentist.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58We have a lot of trust in our dentists.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03We turn to them in an emergency, and rely on them to anesthetise us and keep us free from pain.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06But imagine finding out yours is a fake.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08This is Geoff Grierson, from South London.
0:27:08 > 0:27:14He spent almost £1,000 having crowns on two damaged teeth.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17But for Geoff, the dental work wasn't the big sting.
0:27:17 > 0:27:23That came, when he got a visit from a fraud investigator from the NHS.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24He came round one evening,
0:27:24 > 0:27:29asked me all about different work I'd had, with this so-called dentist,
0:27:29 > 0:27:35and turned out several other people in the area had, as well...
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Probably an HIV test was required.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Geoff was stunned.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44It seemed the dentist who had worked on him, wasn't a dentist at all.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47He'd conned all his patients.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50His name was Omid Amidi-Mazaheri.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Mazaheri was treating hundreds of patients.
0:27:53 > 0:27:59They all believed he was a qualified dentist, but he had no proper training at all.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04His scam was uncovered by the NHS counter-fraud team.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08The unit was set up more than ten years ago.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Frighteningly, one of their tasks is to track down fraudsters
0:28:12 > 0:28:15who are posing as qualified medical professionals.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18It was an anonymous telephone call to our free phone
0:28:18 > 0:28:20fraud and corruption reporting line.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25Somebody alerted us to the activities of both Mazaheri and Ms Azari,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27who was a dentist working with him.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31There were reports of horror stories in the dentist's chair.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Sometimes, no anaesthetic was used.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Sometimes, the work done collapsed almost immediately.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40A syringe was even dropped down someone's throat.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45An investigation by the counter-fraud team
0:28:45 > 0:28:50revealed that Mazaheri had spent more than a year working on patients.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54He was making a fortune despite having no qualifications or training.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58The fraud had gone undetected because Mazaheri's girlfriend,
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Mogjan, was a qualified dentist working at the same practice.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06She had put through the paperwork as if she had treated the patients.
0:29:06 > 0:29:12Geoff Grierson, like the other patients, had been fooled by the fake dentist's veneer.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16I was quite surprised, to be honest. I wasn't sat in the chair two seconds
0:29:16 > 0:29:21till someone started dropping things or had problems with syringes.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26I'm a bit of a coward at the dentist anyway so I'd have been out that seat like a shot.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31Following the investigation, Mazaheri was jailed for two years.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34Mogjan Azari, his girlfriend, was sentenced to a year.
0:29:34 > 0:29:40It was discovered that Mazaheri's only knowledge came from working as a dental technician,
0:29:40 > 0:29:45and the list of things an untrained person doesn't know is frightening.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50They may have no knowledge of cross-infection control measures
0:29:50 > 0:29:53which are so important in this...
0:29:53 > 0:30:01period of hepatitis and HIV risk, that most individuals are aware of.
0:30:01 > 0:30:06Investigators were unsure if he had used proper sterilisation techniques.
0:30:06 > 0:30:11That meant Geoff and all the other patients had to be tested for the HIV virus.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Thankfully, all the tests came back negative.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19But Geoff's certainly not impressed with what the fake dentist did for him.
0:30:19 > 0:30:24I was eating something and all of a sudden one of these gold caps that he put in, came out, you know.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28Quite embarrassing really, at the time. Annoying, as well.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32But it's simple to check that your dentist is properly qualified.
0:30:32 > 0:30:39Well, my advice to any patient that had any concerns at all about the qualifications of their dentist,
0:30:39 > 0:30:43they should contact the General Dental Council directly
0:30:43 > 0:30:49or perhaps more easily, to visit the General Dental Council website
0:30:49 > 0:30:52and to search the dental register
0:30:52 > 0:30:56for the information relating to their dentist.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06This is Georgina Miles and Craig Colclough on their wedding day.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11Craig had swept Georgina off her feet with tales of his Army doctor days
0:31:11 > 0:31:14and his new life as a successful psychiatrist.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16I thought I'd finally found someone
0:31:16 > 0:31:20who I could go off on crazy adventures with.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22And I was just very excited and very happy.
0:31:22 > 0:31:27Georgina was also an aspiring officer in the Territorial Army
0:31:27 > 0:31:31and had introduced Craig to friends and officers in the regiment.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35He'd won them over, too... so much so, that they offered him
0:31:35 > 0:31:38the role of Chief Medical Officer in Georgina's regiment...
0:31:38 > 0:31:42the 36th Territorial Army Signals.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46He was responsible for about 200 soldiers across the entire regiment.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49The couple sped off for an idyllic honeymoon in the Maldives.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53But, back at home, Georgina's sister had her doubts.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57None of Craig's family or his friends came to the ceremony
0:31:57 > 0:32:02and she decided to do an internet search on the supposed ex-Army major.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07She called me the day after I returned and she said perhaps I want to go and look for myself.
0:32:07 > 0:32:14There were lots of pages about the time he'd spent in Prague, on an ex-pat site...
0:32:14 > 0:32:16where he'd been involved in banking.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20And it was all very strange and certainly nothing to do with being a doctor
0:32:20 > 0:32:24and certainly nothing to do with an officer in the British Army.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27I looked on the General Medical Council website
0:32:27 > 0:32:31where you can enter a name and see if they've been registered as a doctor.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34And I tried his name and he had never been registered.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37A few other things started to fall into place.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Emails from people saying they knew Craig
0:32:39 > 0:32:44and that I ought to be very careful because he was nothing that he said he was.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47So, that evening, when he got home from work,
0:32:47 > 0:32:49he was waiting outside in the park
0:32:49 > 0:32:52cos I think he knew something was up. I'd been a bit funny on the phone,
0:32:52 > 0:32:55saying we needed to talk about a few things
0:32:55 > 0:32:56that I'd read on the internet...
0:32:56 > 0:32:59and he wouldn't come up. So I went down to see him
0:32:59 > 0:33:03and he was sitting there with his head hung low and I said,
0:33:03 > 0:33:07"My name's Georgina Miles, who are you?"
0:33:07 > 0:33:10because it seemed quite clear that I knew nothing about this man
0:33:10 > 0:33:12who, just two weeks ago, I'd married.
0:33:12 > 0:33:19We'll find out the shocking truth about Georgina's new husband later in the programme.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Through to the police, can I help?
0:33:24 > 0:33:26My neighbour's just been robbed...
0:33:26 > 0:33:32What you're hearing is a real 999 call received by Thames Valley Police.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35These are elderly neighbours. They threatened her with a screwdriver.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39They're calling about the country's most unpleasant fakers...
0:33:39 > 0:33:44The ones who tell lies on your doorstep to con their way into your home.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48This type of crime is when someone comes to your door
0:33:48 > 0:33:52claiming something like, "We're from the water board" or, "The electricity company".
0:33:52 > 0:33:56In truth, they're conmen, trying to get in and rob you.
0:33:56 > 0:34:01And there are around 11,000 cons like this in Britain, every year.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05Paul Pearson's mum and dad were the victims you heard about on the 999 call.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09The burglars conned them with a fake story about a lost dog.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Then they pounced.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14Basically, she was confronted by them
0:34:14 > 0:34:18and was frogmarched back into the house,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21being threatened by one of the individuals
0:34:21 > 0:34:26with a sharpened screwdriver, who then shouted at her.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30My father was quite ill at the time and he was sat in a chair,
0:34:30 > 0:34:36and when he got up to confront the individual,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39he was knocked back into the chair.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43My mother had been down to collect the pension money earlier that day,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47and that's basically all they got away with.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51There was nothing of real value within the house itself.
0:34:51 > 0:34:56They'd ransacked everywhere through the house,
0:34:56 > 0:35:00to find what was perhaps £150, £200. Not much more than that.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04Paul's parents weren't the only victims.
0:35:04 > 0:35:10The conmen went on a spree across the South and the Midlands, using different deceptions and lies
0:35:10 > 0:35:14to get through people's front doors, and then rob them.
0:35:14 > 0:35:20In the summer of 2007, we identified, along with a number of other forces,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23a spike in more violent offences,
0:35:23 > 0:35:29where there was still an element of what we would call a distraction, a lie, to get beyond the front door.
0:35:31 > 0:35:39Often, it was once they were in the house - then force was used to find money and to control the victim.
0:35:39 > 0:35:45Police in Thames Valley issued warnings to residents and set about trying to find the crooks.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48But then, a vital lead came from police in Warwickshire
0:35:48 > 0:35:53when they spotted two men behaving suspiciously in this Jaguar.
0:35:53 > 0:35:58In the July, we had a break because a car that had been stolen in Thames Valley,
0:35:58 > 0:36:05a very distinctive car, a Jaguar convertible sports car, was seen in Warwickshire.
0:36:05 > 0:36:11And the officers there pursued the vehicle, and two were arrested fleeing from that vehicle.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15These are the two men arrested in the stolen motor.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17And when police in Warwickshire searched the car,
0:36:17 > 0:36:22they found some things that made Joe Kidman immediately suspicious.
0:36:22 > 0:36:28We found some gloves inside the car and they were quite distinctive, patterned work-type gloves...
0:36:28 > 0:36:31and also some tools in the car...
0:36:31 > 0:36:36and a screwdriver which was similar to one described by one of our victims.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Joe organised a video identification parade with the arrested men.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42The victims picked them out straight away
0:36:42 > 0:36:47as the conmen who had lied to get into their homes, and then rob them.
0:36:47 > 0:36:53The two were found guilty of a string of violent burglaries, but Joe wasn't finished with them yet.
0:36:53 > 0:37:00The initial sentences given to O'Connor and Rooney were five years and three years, respectively.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04We were of the opinion that that didn't reflect the seriousness of the offending.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08We went back to the Court of Appeal and their sentences were doubled
0:37:08 > 0:37:10to ten years and five years, respectively.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Words that would describe them
0:37:13 > 0:37:19couldn't be voiced on a programme like this...
0:37:19 > 0:37:22All you'd get would be the bleeps, basically.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26As frightening as these kind of burglaries are, the fact is,
0:37:26 > 0:37:31Thames Valley and most other regions have seen a decrease. But it pays to be vigilant.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34And I know a man who can tell you what to look out for.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38Here's a guy who's chasing these fake people every day of the week.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Dominic, thanks for coming.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43- Pleased to meet you. - Distraction burglary, how big a problem is it?
0:37:43 > 0:37:48- You won't believe the excuses people use to trick their way into houses. - Give me some examples.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52They use the excuse that they're the police and have caught someone
0:37:52 > 0:37:55down the road and ask you to check where your valuables and cash are.
0:37:55 > 0:38:00So you're actually identifying to these criminals where your valuables and cash is.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05Do these people have a particular way of trying to distract you, or is there loads of different ways?
0:38:05 > 0:38:10Lots of different ways, but a common theme is someone will keep you in conversation at the front door,
0:38:10 > 0:38:16or just inside the front door, while someone else comes in and enters the back of the property.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19That's why it's important to keep the back of the property secure,
0:38:19 > 0:38:23so if you answer the front door, you know someone can't get in the back easily.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27Picture this, an old lady who's sitting, watching this programme,
0:38:27 > 0:38:29thinking "My God, what am I going to do?"
0:38:29 > 0:38:31What would be your advice to her?
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Make sure you've got good locks on the front door, and a chain.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37If someone knocks at the door,
0:38:37 > 0:38:39by all means, answer it, but keep your chain on.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42If you're not happy with them, don't let them in. Call 999.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45- Simple as that.- Simple as that.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Earlier, we met Georgina Miles.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55She thought she'd married a doctor and an ex-Army major.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00But after their wedding, she found out he wasn't a major or a doctor.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03He was a fake. His real job was in finance.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08He'd lied about almost everything, to make himself more exciting.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11A lot of family and friends who came to the wedding,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14who spent a lot of money coming to the wedding...
0:39:14 > 0:39:17to see me on my happy day...
0:39:17 > 0:39:20were of course, incredibly angry on my behalf.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Georgina left the couple's flat as soon as she discovered she'd been duped.
0:39:24 > 0:39:29She hasn't felt able to look through any of the wedding photos until now.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33I just didn't want to look at them. I was so embarrassed and so ashamed.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38And so angry at what he'd done to me...
0:39:38 > 0:39:41and to my family and my friends.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45It just got me too upset to look at them.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48The worst bit was telling my father.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52He was...um...
0:39:54 > 0:39:57He had tears in his eyes when he gave me away.
0:39:57 > 0:39:58And then...
0:40:00 > 0:40:05..he was very angry, but obviously he couldn't show that.
0:40:05 > 0:40:06But that was very hard.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09But it wasn't just an emotional tragedy.
0:40:09 > 0:40:14Georgina had introduced Colclough to her colleagues at the TA's Signal Regiment.
0:40:14 > 0:40:20They'd been so taken in by his charm, they had offered him the post of Chief Medical Officer.
0:40:20 > 0:40:26There was a delay in checking his qualifications, so he had been treating soldiers for months.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28You know, it's an organisation that I loved...
0:40:28 > 0:40:31and I was immensely proud to be part of.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34And I'd introduced him to the regiment...
0:40:34 > 0:40:35and I was...
0:40:35 > 0:40:37terribly ashamed.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45And I thought of all the things he'd done to the soldiers,
0:40:45 > 0:40:48who were very good people.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52Further investigation revealed that Colclough had spent a few months
0:40:52 > 0:40:54in the Royal Marine Reserves when he was younger.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59He'd served as a medical technician there, but he certainly wasn't a doctor.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03There was a young lad, a young soldier, who had hurt his hand,
0:41:03 > 0:41:07and he'd gone to Craig, as the regimental medical officer...
0:41:08 > 0:41:12and Craig had thought it was dislocated
0:41:12 > 0:41:15and tried to put it back into position...
0:41:15 > 0:41:17whereas in fact, the bone was broken.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20And they said in court, you know, just how much pain this lad
0:41:20 > 0:41:22would have had to suffer,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25from someone trying to manipulate a broken hand.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30For the man who told a tissue of lies, this was the end.
0:41:30 > 0:41:36He was jailed for 16 weeks for impersonating a doctor and assaulting an Army patient.
0:41:36 > 0:41:41But, there's a very simple explanation as to how he conned Georgina and the Army.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Craig had a knack where he was very charming, very funny.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48He instantly disarmed people...made them feel very good about themselves.
0:41:48 > 0:41:53And I think people's first thought was never to question what he said.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57He did his research, he did his homework...
0:41:57 > 0:42:00on people and on subject matter.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04And he was always very self-deprecating.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10I think it's true what they say. If you're going to lie, lie big.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13I think no-one would expect someone to be so audacious...
0:42:13 > 0:42:17and reckless as to walk into a TA unit, pretending to be a doctor
0:42:17 > 0:42:19and a commissioned officer in the Army.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21For a start, why would anyone want to?
0:42:21 > 0:42:24How would anyone think they could get away with it?
0:42:25 > 0:42:27For some reason it was important to Craig,
0:42:27 > 0:42:29for people to view him as this person...
0:42:31 > 0:42:33above and beyond me.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37I think going to prison might show him that society doesn't accept
0:42:37 > 0:42:41that kind of behaviour, that there are consequences to your actions.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Other than that, I don't know,
0:42:44 > 0:42:48I don't really know if it will change him.
0:42:50 > 0:42:55But whether you're trying to pass yourself off as a doctor, a dentist,
0:42:55 > 0:42:59a holidaymaker or a gas fitter, for all the fakers in this programme,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03it seems fraud didn't pay after all.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08I hope I've given you all the information you need to stay one step ahead of those conmen.
0:43:08 > 0:43:10So from Fake Britain, it's goodbye.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:21 > 0:43:24E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk