0:00:02 > 0:00:07Welcome to a world where nothing quite as it seems.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12- Police!- Police officers. Stay where you are!
0:00:22 > 0:00:23You're under arrest.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27In this series, I'll be investigating
0:00:27 > 0:00:31the world of the criminals who make their money at your expense -
0:00:31 > 0:00:35and I'm going to be showing YOU how not to get ripped off.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Coming up...
0:00:36 > 0:00:40How fake euros can get innocent holidaymakers banged up abroad.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43I was in bits, to be honest. I was crying, you know what I mean?
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I was petrified. I was in a foreign jail. I didn't know nothing.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51How taking fake diet pills can make you lose more than you bargained for.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54I lost my mind, basically, and ended up getting sectioned.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58And the heartbreak caused to animal lovers by the fake pet cremations.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I asked if I could see him but they said, "No, you cannot.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04"We won't let you see him because of the state he's in."
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Apparently, he was covered in flies and maggots.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17If you're going on holiday to Europe,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20then the chances are you'll be needing some of these - euros.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24We exchange our pounds for millions of these each year.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Now, these ones are real.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28But if the euros you get are fake -
0:01:28 > 0:01:31and trust me, there are loads of them out there -
0:01:31 > 0:01:34then you could be in very big trouble.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40This is a police raid on a counterfeiting ring in Italy,
0:01:40 > 0:01:45where the officers burst into a criminal operation producing millions of fake euros.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49The production is sophisticated and they are using hi-tech equipment
0:01:49 > 0:01:52to recreate as many of the security features as possible.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54This could affect YOU,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58as millions of fakes are out there - and they could be in your pocket.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Alan Williams and his family go skiing every year
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and look forward to their relaxing holiday away together.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Last Christmas we, as a family,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10decided to go to Kitzbuhel in Austria. I went to Thomas Cook
0:02:10 > 0:02:13in Cheltenham and booked a package holiday with them.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15When I went to pick up the tickets,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18I actually bought £2,000 worth of euros from Thomas Cook
0:02:18 > 0:02:22and I stuck them back in my bag and took them to Austria with me.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27But, having arrived in Kitzbuhel - and keen to get on the slopes as soon as possible -
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Alan bought the lift passes and things started to go wrong.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34When I went to buy the lift passes and she asked me for the 1,300 euros,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I opened the plastic wallet which Thomas Cook had given me,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40and actually took out the wodge of notes.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43The girl started feeding them through a small scanning machine,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47and it bleeped and rejected one of the notes. It was clear there was a problem with it.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51In the meantime, I gave her a replacement note.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55But attempting to pass a fake euro meant he was guilty of a crime.
0:02:55 > 0:03:00And then, suddenly, a man appeared next to us and introduced himself as the police.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03He said, "I'd like you to come to the police station."
0:03:03 > 0:03:07It was clear to me that if I didn't go voluntarily, he would arrest me and take me.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10The police escorted them back to their hotel,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14where they searched their room and asked them to produce identification.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19He turned it pretty well upside down. He opened the Christmas presents and cards, looking for more money.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23And then in the police station, I explained where I got the money.
0:03:23 > 0:03:29I showed him the receipt from Thomas Cook. He examined all the other money and also the forged note.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33Alan was held in the police interview room for five hours,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37and the seriousness of the situation began to dawn on him.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40I was guilty of being in possession of a counterfeit note.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Merely being in possession is viewed as a serious crime on the Continent,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48and I'd have no option but to plead guilty to that if I was charged.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52But, of course, I've also attempted to buy a lift pass with a counterfeit note,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55which, again, is a serious crime.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59And, really, I felt the only thing to do was to try and assist him as much as possible
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and hope he'd decide it's not worth pursuing any further.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07Because if they decide to pursue the issue, then I'd have no choice but to plead guilty.
0:04:08 > 0:04:14But there have been several cases of Brits abroad held by police for having fake euros.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16With 17 nations using the euro,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19it's the second most used currency in the world,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22so it's an attractive target for the counterfeiters.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23Here in Frankfurt,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26at the headquarters of the European Central Bank,
0:04:26 > 0:04:32it's their job to coordinate all the information on all the forgeries found right across Europe.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Every time a new counterfeit is identified,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38a sample is sent to us as soon as possible.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43What I have on screen at the moment is a comparison of a genuine 50,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45and the counterfeit.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48What is interesting, perhaps, is the way in which
0:04:48 > 0:04:52the counterfeiter has attacked the various security features.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54The most looked-at security feature,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58at least from a public perspective, is undoubtedly the hologram.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02The hologram shows two different pictures as it moves in the light,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04so it's difficult to forge.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06You can see that clearly on the left.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10But this is not the case with the fake on the right.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15One other thing we could draw attention to here is the watermark.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17You can see that with the counterfeit,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21the watermark is, in fact, printed, whereas...
0:05:21 > 0:05:24if we look in the watermark area on the genuine,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26it's essentially invisible.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29The third main giveaway is how the note actually feels.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33These lines here - as you can see, they're raised and, consequently,
0:05:33 > 0:05:38when we run our nail across the finished entity, we feel -
0:05:38 > 0:05:41or we rather hear - a kind of washboard effect.
0:05:41 > 0:05:42I'm not going to feel that,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45or hear it, with this note because it's a counterfeit.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49This particular counterfeit note was made in the UK.
0:05:49 > 0:05:55The quality of the fake notes varies, but 75% of them are made on professional printers.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58He'll make something as good as he feels it necessary
0:05:58 > 0:06:01in order to be accepted by the ultimate victim.
0:06:01 > 0:06:06The police accepted Alan's story, as he had the receipt from Thomas Cook
0:06:06 > 0:06:08to prove he had changed the money in good faith.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Thomas Cook refunded the note as a gesture of goodwill,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15but do not accept that the counterfeit came from them.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20I just felt I was an unfortunate victim of a note that had slipped through the system.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23But actually, I was being treated under the Austrian legal system
0:06:23 > 0:06:26as though I was a major currency swindler.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Alan got off lightly.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31But later, we'll find out what happened to Carl Redden,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33who wasn't so lucky.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I was actually locked up with life prisoners -
0:06:36 > 0:06:41rapists, drug dealers... You name it, they're in there.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50In this bag is everything I need to give a DNA sample.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55And that can prove conclusively that I am who I say I am.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Every year, hundreds of thousands of these are taken in this country,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01but many of them are done under strict medical supervision
0:07:01 > 0:07:04to prove who the father of a child is.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06But you've guessed it -
0:07:06 > 0:07:09even the DNA paternity test can't escape the fakers.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16Every year, there are between 40,000 and 80,000 DNA tests done in the UK
0:07:16 > 0:07:19to determine the paternity of a child.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Stuart Richards works for the Child Support Agency,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25who are there to ensure that the parent caring for the child
0:07:25 > 0:07:27gets financial support from the other parent.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Stuart leads one of the CSA's investigation teams.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Our role is primarily ensuring we make the correct calculation
0:07:34 > 0:07:37of maintenance to support the child, and then ensure
0:07:37 > 0:07:39the money flows to that child.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44And it's a very important role, in terms of ensuring that parents have the opportunity and wherewithal
0:07:44 > 0:07:48to support their children and support them through their growing life.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52But not everyone is happy to accept their responsibilities.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57We investigate any allegations where there are fraudulent attempts by people
0:07:57 > 0:07:59to avoid paying their maintenance.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02That type of fraud may be that they attempt to suppress their income level,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04or they may undertake a DNA fraud,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08to try to show they're not the parent of a child they are the parent of.
0:08:08 > 0:08:13This type of fraud is not the norm, but it's more common than you might think.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16In the last two years, there have been seven convictions in the UK -
0:08:16 > 0:08:19with 32 cases ongoing.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21What people will do is,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24they're provided the opportunity to take a DNA test
0:08:24 > 0:08:28to prove unequivocally whether they are the father of the child or not.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30The fraud people will undertake in regard to that
0:08:30 > 0:08:33is they'll get somebody else to go and take the test.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36So they will try and get another person - different DNA -
0:08:36 > 0:08:38and they believe that'll be the end of the matter.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42But it's not that simple to defraud the system.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45This young mother, whose identity we have to protect,
0:08:45 > 0:08:50fell pregnant by her boyfriend, who wasn't so pleased by the news.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54I told him I was pregnant and his response to me was,
0:08:54 > 0:08:59"Well, we can carry on seeing each other. Just get rid of...
0:08:59 > 0:09:01"the baby."
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Whereas my response was, I wasn't going to get rid of the baby.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09- SHE CLEARS HER THROAT - So then I was just told that he was...not going to be around.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14There was absolutely no... contact at all.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Once he decided to go his way, that was it.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22She had a baby girl and sent the father a photo of his daughter,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25in case he ever wanted to get in touch.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28But I still got no reply - no answer to anything -
0:09:28 > 0:09:30so I just left it then.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35But five months down the line, it all sort of unravelled
0:09:35 > 0:09:38cos I got an e-mail from his wife.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Shocked that he was married, things started to make sense.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46And it was his wife who told her to contact the Child Support Agency.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48They demanded that he contribute financially
0:09:48 > 0:09:50to the upbringing of his child,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52but he denied that he was the father.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Some people do contest they are the father
0:09:54 > 0:09:58and, rightly, there is a process in place to enable them to challenge it.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02When that happens, we facilitate them to provide a DNA sample,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05which will prove whether they're the father or not.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08A DNA sample was taken from the mother, daughter and man in question,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11and sent off to be tested.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14I was expecting it to come back that obviously,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16I'm her mother and he's her father.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19There was no doubt in my mind of who the father was
0:10:19 > 0:10:23so, to me, it was like a straightforward test.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25DNA is the body's genetic blueprint.
0:10:25 > 0:10:31Testing DNA can conclusively prove whether a man is the true father of a child.
0:10:31 > 0:10:32Everybody's DNA is unique.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35We can get a DNA sample by taking a simple mouth swab
0:10:35 > 0:10:39from the inside of somebody's mouth. Having extracted that DNA
0:10:39 > 0:10:42from the mother, the child and the alleged father,
0:10:42 > 0:10:47we can go through and carry out a number of different tests that identifies markers in the DNA.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50These genetic markers, because they're inherited
0:10:50 > 0:10:52half from the mother, half from the father,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54if you look at the DNA pattern of the child,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57you can see every single marker in there.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00If it isn't from the mother, it must come from the man we're testing,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02if he is the father of the child.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06This allows us to provide a conclusive analysis of paternity.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10I received the DNA results through the post and when I opened them,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13it said that he wasn't the father.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18I phoned the CSA, like, pretty much straightaway.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21And I kind of... I explained to them that, you know,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25I'd received the results and that I wasn't happy,
0:11:25 > 0:11:30because I know that he was the father but it's saying that he's not.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34She was told that DNA testing provides definitive proof
0:11:34 > 0:11:36as to the identity of the father.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41But she was sure who the father was, so something wasn't adding up.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44We use doctors to take samples so that at the appointment,
0:11:44 > 0:11:49the doctor can confirm that the person from whom the sample's being taken is the right person.
0:11:49 > 0:11:50We use photographic evidence
0:11:50 > 0:11:54and we also collect signatures from people at the appointment.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57We can be absolutely certain everything is accurate and correct.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01So, if you can't escape from your DNA and who you are,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03how is this fraud even possible?
0:12:03 > 0:12:08All I got in response was that them tests are 99.999% certain.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12I said, "Well, I'm not disputing your testing system -
0:12:12 > 0:12:14"I'm disputing who took the test."
0:12:14 > 0:12:18I knew he would have pulled some sort of stunt.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Whoever's gone is not my daughter's father.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25She was absolutely categoric and emphatic that this man was the father
0:12:25 > 0:12:26of the child involved here,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28and clearly wanted to progress it.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31When we heard her information, we sent an investigator to meet her,
0:12:31 > 0:12:36and we showed her a photograph of the person who had taken the DNA test.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38The mother in this instance was absolutely categoric -
0:12:38 > 0:12:41that was not the man she had named as the father.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44I explained, I've never seen him before in my life.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Didn't have a clue who he was. So I know he's not my daughter's father.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52And they... Obviously, then, they turned round and said,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55well...they would be opening a fraud...
0:12:55 > 0:12:59My case would have to be transferred to the fraud side of things.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03The person named on that application was not the person in the photo
0:13:03 > 0:13:06and, by inference, clearly not the person who took the DNA test
0:13:06 > 0:13:07that came back negative.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11This is a very serious fraud, both emotionally and financially.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15It could result in a parent knowingly cheating their own child
0:13:15 > 0:13:19out of tens of thousands of pounds over the course of their childhood.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22The impact on those people - it's not just about the money.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24It's the emotional impact on the mother and child
0:13:24 > 0:13:25when they go to these lengths -
0:13:25 > 0:13:29particularly a fraudulent length - to show they're not the father.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31For the mother and child in this case,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33where they fraudulently attempted to show they are
0:13:33 > 0:13:36not the father of a child, is an utterly despicable act.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40We undertook an arrest of the man named as the father. He was questioned at that point.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43What had actually happened was,
0:13:43 > 0:13:47he'd asked somebody to go to the doctor in his place to take the test,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51ensuring that the DNA result would come back negative.
0:13:51 > 0:13:56Subsequently, he has been to court and been found guilty of offences under the Fraud Act.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58He now has a criminal record and,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01obviously, the maintenance he was due to pay -
0:14:01 > 0:14:02we've secured that now.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06But there was an arrears of maintenance that he had accrued.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08He has gained nothing in doing this.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12I just pity him - for him to sink so low
0:14:12 > 0:14:15to be able to pull stunts like that.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Relieved that he's had to take responsibility at last,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21she's never regretted her decision.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24I can thank him for the best thing I've ever had,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26and that's my little girl.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29She's the best thing that ever happened to me.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31I wouldn't be without her.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40When a pet that has been loved and a constant companion
0:14:40 > 0:14:43finally passes on it can hit some owners really hard.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47They want the best for it, even after it's died.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51As our investigation reveals, some pet owners have been fooled.
0:14:51 > 0:14:57That dignified final farewell that they paid for and cherished turned out to be anything but.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01It's the fake pet cremation scam.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03When Bournville, Linda's older dog, died,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06they paid for an individual cremation for him.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11We expressed the wish to the vet that we wanted him solely cremated
0:15:11 > 0:15:14by himself and we wanted his ashes back
0:15:14 > 0:15:17to go with our other pet who died the previous year.
0:15:17 > 0:15:24So we understand his body was collected the following day from the vet's by the crematorium.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28We got the phone call the following week from the vet
0:15:28 > 0:15:31to say they'd received Bournville's ashes back.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35My son went to collect his ashes.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Just when they thought they'd laid him to rest, the RSPCA called.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42A man out walking one morning had come across the bodies of
0:15:42 > 0:15:46four dogs dumped in a field, one of whom was Bournville.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48First initial
0:15:48 > 0:15:52reaction was disbelief. No, this couldn't happen.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54This is not right.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Bournville died in my arms and we've got his ashes here.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01We've got him here. And she described his markings and he was microchipped.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03She said, "He's registered to you."
0:16:03 > 0:16:06We went to identify the body and it was Bournville.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11Obviously, because he'd been lying in the field
0:16:11 > 0:16:15for perhaps a good week and a half,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17two weeks,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20he obviously wasn't a pretty sight.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22He was a marvellous dog.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25His character, his personality.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28You couldn't get one better. You couldn't get one better.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32That's what hurts, because he was a member of our family.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35A member of our four dogs.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37These were our children as well.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40To know
0:16:40 > 0:16:44that he was just dumped as though he was rubbish
0:16:44 > 0:16:47it very heartbreaking.
0:16:47 > 0:16:48But she wasn't alone.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Found dumped in the field along with Bournville was the body of Sam,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54a black Labrador, whose owner Angie
0:16:54 > 0:16:56had had him put to sleep at the vet's.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I assumed he was going to go to a crematorium
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and that he was going to be cremated
0:17:02 > 0:17:04and that his ashes would be scattered.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08But she too had the news that the cremation she'd paid for had failed
0:17:08 > 0:17:12to happen and Sam's body was just dumped in a field.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16We just couldn't believe that we were being told this.
0:17:18 > 0:17:24We just don't understand how anyone could do anything like that.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27I asked if I could see him
0:17:27 > 0:17:28but they said, "No.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33"You cannot. We won't let you see him because of the state he's in."
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Apparently he was covered in flies and maggots.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41He was in a terrible state.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Both Sam and Bournville had been sent by the vet
0:17:44 > 0:17:47to Peak Pet Cremations to be cremated.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51In reality, Emma Bent who ran the company, had no cremation licence
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and her incinerator had not worked for several years.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57This resulted in around 3, 000 pet owners
0:17:57 > 0:18:00being conned by her fake cremations.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03And it was big business.
0:18:03 > 0:18:09The kiln in question was apparently found in total disrepair.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14It was all rusted up and hadn't been used for a long time.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17They've either been burned on bonfires
0:18:17 > 0:18:20or dumped at various locations.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27There's other evidence to say that she'd been disposing
0:18:27 > 0:18:30of clinical waste on bonfires.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Now this clinical waste included syringes
0:18:34 > 0:18:38that had still got
0:18:38 > 0:18:41medication in the syringes
0:18:41 > 0:18:47that were used to euthanise animals with.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Now, had a child got hold of that,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53it doesn't bear thinking about.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Since then, Sam and Bournville have been cremated under the
0:18:57 > 0:19:02high standards of the Association of Private Pet Cemeteries & Crematoria.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04These are Bournville's genuine ashes
0:19:04 > 0:19:07that we witnessed at Bournville's cremation.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09We're just so pleased we know
0:19:09 > 0:19:12we've got this as the real Bournville's ashes.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Emma Bent had been receiving these pets from the vet and
0:19:15 > 0:19:17getting paid to cremate them,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21but was instead just dumping their bodies in the local area.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23She was charged with separate counts of fraud
0:19:23 > 0:19:25by the Crown Prosecution Service,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29the Environment Agency and Trading Standards, and was sentenced
0:19:29 > 0:19:33to eight months in jail for fraud and having no licence.
0:19:33 > 0:19:40We found it so hard that a business lady, a business woman,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42can be so hardhearted.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Everything was, to our way of thinking, very callous.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49Whilst this is an extreme case,
0:19:49 > 0:19:53it does highlight the discrepancies in the cremation services on offer.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58Pet owners routinely aren't being given the cremation they believe they're paying for.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03For a lot of people the assumption is individual cremation equals their pet
0:20:03 > 0:20:06being looked after akin to a human service.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11Simply that's not the case in the majority of situations using the big
0:20:11 > 0:20:13companies that will come round once a week.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17There are a whole range of services on offer when your pet passes away,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20with many claiming to cremate your pet individually.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25But they differ widely in their meaning of individual.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29I'm part of an association that adheres to a strict code of practice
0:20:29 > 0:20:31that defines what individual means.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34I hope our definition is in keeping with what the general public
0:20:34 > 0:20:36believes individual to mean,
0:20:36 > 0:20:37which is one pet cremated,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40whether they be a hamster or great Dane, on their own
0:20:40 > 0:20:44in an enclosed chamber until the cremation is fully completed.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48All their ashes are then removed and given back to the owner.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53Some companies will do numbered tray cremations, where 10-15, possibly
0:20:53 > 0:20:58more pets are placed on trays then put into a chamber at the same time.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03The other practice that does go on is effectively a communal creation.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06And literally that is a scoop of ashes taken from that communal
0:21:06 > 0:21:10cremation which then is put into a casket and given back to that owner.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Again, unfortunately, that is under the guise of individual cremation.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17So it's important to know exactly which
0:21:17 > 0:21:21cremation service your vet uses to make an informed choice
0:21:21 > 0:21:23about how to say goodbye to your pet.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Until something like this happens,
0:21:26 > 0:21:31you don't ask the questions because you don't feel you have to.
0:21:31 > 0:21:37People need to go out there and find out for themselves what's what.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47When the euro came into circulation in 2002, it was hailed as the most
0:21:47 > 0:21:51counterfeit-proof currency ever to roll off the presses.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53But they were wrong.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Carl Redden works at the fruit and veg wholesale markets in Birmingham.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01He wanted to propose to his girlfriend on a romantic holiday
0:22:01 > 0:22:03in Cyprus but it didn't go to plan.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06I proposed to her on the
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Monday afternoon. Just down by the poolside.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12A few drinks flowing, everything was nice and I proposed to her that day.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15They popped out to the local shops
0:22:15 > 0:22:18and all romance came to an abrupt end.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23We walked into the shop, got our bits and bobs, went to the counter,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26paid with a 50 euro bank note.
0:22:26 > 0:22:32The lady behind the till scanned it, passed it back, said it was fake.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34I said, "Are you sure, love?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37"Check it again. I don't know."
0:22:37 > 0:22:40She's gone, "Yeah, it's fake. I'm going to have to phone the police."
0:22:40 > 0:22:43I said, "OK, fair enough. I'll wait here.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46I waited for maybe 15-20 minutes, police came.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Asked me about the bank note.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51"Yes, it's mine." Asked me where I got it from.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Which I got it from England, Birmingham, obviously, where I live.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57My nan got them for me.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59So then they arrested both of us,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02took...put us into separate cars,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04er...straight to the police station.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08I didn't see the Suzanne then for...until we went to court,
0:23:08 > 0:23:09three days after.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12In court the judge asked them if they had anything
0:23:12 > 0:23:13to say in their defence.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15So I said, look, you know, we haven't...
0:23:15 > 0:23:18we don't know about this euro note.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23Er...we've come here for a holiday, you know, we proposed yesterday.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26We're all-inclusive, so we didn't even need this money, you know.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Please, can you help us?
0:23:29 > 0:23:31And the judge just said, "Well, we'll give you bail
0:23:31 > 0:23:34"but we want 5,000 euros each, per person.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37"And you're to stay in the country." Obviously, me and Suzanne
0:23:37 > 0:23:41haven't got 5,000 euros each in our pockets to pay bail.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44So she said, "Well, you'll go to prison until it's paid."
0:23:44 > 0:23:47They had no idea how they'd got hold of fake euros.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50And only hours after getting engaged
0:23:50 > 0:23:53they'd swapped their honeymoon suite for jail cells.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57People just haven't got 5,000 euros lying around,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59do you know what I mean?
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I don't think nobody has. Do you know what you mean?
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Not in my kind of lifestyle, anyway.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06I haven't got no-one just to phone and get money straight there.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10In the end, it took their families two whole weeks
0:24:10 > 0:24:13to raise enough money to bail them out of prison.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17And then Carl finally discovered how he'd got the fake euros.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19He asked his nan to change his money for him
0:24:19 > 0:24:23when she went to the Post Office before he went on holiday.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26But he didn't know that she'd been the victim of a con.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31There was a man outside the Post Office all suited and booted selling euros.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33He said to my nan, "Oh, all right, love?
0:24:33 > 0:24:36"Commission's a bit high on the dollars, on the euros,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39"blah, blah, blah." And Nan's like, "Ooh, yeah, love."
0:24:39 > 0:24:42He said, "Well, I'll sell you some euros and I'll do a better
0:24:42 > 0:24:45"commission than what the Post Office are doing." So...
0:24:45 > 0:24:48yeah, well, Nan's just gone, Yeah, great deal for me son,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51well, me grandson, and all that and that was it.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Hearing this information, Carl was desperate to find proof of his innocence.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58I was like, "Aw, Nan, you've got to try and do something.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01"Do you have your receipt? Did you have anything?
0:25:01 > 0:25:04"Is there a camera outside the Post Office that could trace,
0:25:04 > 0:25:07"just trace something back to where you've got them from?"
0:25:07 > 0:25:10And she went, "No, son. There was a man outside,
0:25:10 > 0:25:11"he was well dressed, looked smart."
0:25:11 > 0:25:15But she did go to the police here, West Midlands Police, Kings Heath,
0:25:15 > 0:25:18put a statement in and the Kings Heath Police said,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20"There's a lot of this happening."
0:25:20 > 0:25:23With no evidence to prove his innocence,
0:25:23 > 0:25:24Carl's ordeal was far from over.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28He was ordered to stay in the country until the next court date,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31which was adjourned for a further six months.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34So in order to get them back home more quickly,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37their lawyer suggested that he changed his plea.
0:25:37 > 0:25:42We can get Carl to plead guilty, Suzanne gets off and Carl gets a fine
0:25:42 > 0:25:46or a suspended sentence, or both together - worst case scenario.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50And all this can be over with and you can go back home, and that'll be it.
0:25:50 > 0:25:55Little did he know that a fine was nowhere near the worst-case scenario,
0:25:55 > 0:25:59as he learnt when his sentence was passed in court.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01I was in the dock and the judge has called me,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04he's saying in Greek so I didn't really understand.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08The last word I heard was ten months.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11So I'm... I've looked at my lawyer, because he's sat just there,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13just to the right of me.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16And he's putting his head down and I'm, you know,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19I'm...I'm... I nearly fell over, you know,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I'll be totally honest with you. It was such a shock.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25When he phoned up to say that he'd been sentenced ten months,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27I thought he was having a laugh.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30I thought he was on the plane home coming back.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33But then he said, "No, I'm serious, I got ten months."
0:26:33 > 0:26:34I just couldn't believe it.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37The police have come and got me, I'm in handcuffs,
0:26:37 > 0:26:38I'm in custody, that's it.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Carl was sentenced to ten months in Nicosia Prison in Cyprus,
0:26:42 > 0:26:48all for possessing a fake 50 euro note worth just £42.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Inside there...was horrendous, it was horrible.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55It was dirty, it was smelly, there's...
0:26:55 > 0:26:58You know, you're in a foreign place, no-one speaks English.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02I was moved to, er... it was called the Lifers' Block.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06And I was actually locked up with life prisoners.
0:27:06 > 0:27:11Rapists, drug dealers, you name it, they're in there.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15I was in bits. I was crying, you know what I mean, I was petrified.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18I was in a foreign jail, I didn't know nothing.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21People used to laugh about my case, they used to laugh at me
0:27:21 > 0:27:25because of... You know, it was a 50-euro banknote,
0:27:25 > 0:27:27you know, I got a ten-month sentence
0:27:27 > 0:27:30and I was locked up with life prisoners.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33After serving eight months of his sentence,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36Carl was finally released to return home in handcuffs.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39So you're walking through the airport,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43you feel like a right criminal. People stare at you and, you know,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46you feel victimised, you know what I mean?
0:27:46 > 0:27:49You get people staring at you as if you're a big-time criminal.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51You wouldn't think it would happen to you.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54To get arrested for something you haven't done
0:27:54 > 0:27:56and actually do prison for it.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Seeing that story, Jago, I can honestly say I'm quite scared.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08I know your organisation helps people who face charges abroad,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11but we've heard of two cases of Brits who've been charged
0:28:11 > 0:28:15purely for having possession of fake euros. Just how common is it?
0:28:15 > 0:28:18We've seen a number of cases at Fair Trials International,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22involving people arrested for possession of fake euros.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24However, it is relatively uncommon.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28The first and most important thing to do is to get a local lawyer.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30The fact is that the laws on these things vary
0:28:30 > 0:28:32for every country within Europe.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35So you need a local lawyer who can advise you on how to answer
0:28:35 > 0:28:39police questions and what to do. So that's the first and most important thing.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42The second is, make contact with people.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45The British Foreign Office, with friends and family at home.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49And the third thing, often we see cases where people are told
0:28:49 > 0:28:51to sign things in a language they don't understand.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Or they're asked questions
0:28:53 > 0:28:56when the police interviewer doesn't really speak English.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59So, ask for an interpreter or a translation of documents.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Don't sign things in a language you don't understand.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06You hear cases where people say, "Plead guilty, we'll get it over with quickly."
0:29:06 > 0:29:08You're innocent - would you advise people to do that?
0:29:08 > 0:29:10It's a very difficult decision to make.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14It's one of the key things to speak to your local lawyer about.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17We have known cases where people have pleaded guilty
0:29:17 > 0:29:20and where people have then been let out after a few weeks
0:29:20 > 0:29:23when they could well have spent up to four years
0:29:23 > 0:29:25in custody before their trial even started.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27There are serious consequences
0:29:27 > 0:29:31but you really need advice from a local lawyer to weigh up the pros and cons.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35These fake notes are finding their way into mainstream outlets now.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38What can you do to try and minimise the risk of getting them?
0:29:38 > 0:29:41If you can, take money out of a cash machine.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43The notes are likely to have been scanned them.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46And the other thing is, avoid things like people, mates in the pub
0:29:46 > 0:29:50or people that you meet in the street who are going to offer
0:29:50 > 0:29:52to give you euros at a very good rate.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56You know, sometimes if things sound too good to be true, they often are.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Most of us like to keep an eye on the old pounds,
0:30:06 > 0:30:08many of us, though, would actually like to lose a few.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12And, as my next story reveals, in the search for that weight loss
0:30:12 > 0:30:15the fakers can actually make you lose more than you bargained for.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17Can't be right...
0:30:20 > 0:30:24Samantha Pressdee is a dancer who faces pressure every day
0:30:24 > 0:30:26to remain fit and slim.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29We had a photo shoot coming up
0:30:29 > 0:30:32and I decided I needed to lose a little bit of weight.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34So I thought I'd buy some diet pills,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37not realising what they would do to me.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Like many other people she went online,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43but the diet pills she bought were not approved in the UK
0:30:43 > 0:30:45and contained a banned ingredient.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49Experts say extreme care should be taken
0:30:49 > 0:30:52when buying pills online without a prescription.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54I think I first heard about the pills on TV.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58Seeing a celebrity who'd lost a lot of weight I thought, they must work.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01So I Googled them, I found the official site.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04There was no health questions, nothing about blood pressure,
0:31:04 > 0:31:06I couldn't see health warnings.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09It was just, basically, here's a sales pitch, give us your money.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13She paid £90 for three months' worth of pills.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17The pills contained a Chinese herb called Ephedra
0:31:17 > 0:31:20which is banned in many countries because of the serious effects
0:31:20 > 0:31:23it can have on people's mental and physical health.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25So I started taking the pills.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28I didn't notice a change immediately
0:31:28 > 0:31:32but on the second day of taking them
0:31:32 > 0:31:37I just had this surge of energy and I felt like cleaning.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Not just a quick whizz around with the Hoover,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42I had to clean every nook and cranny.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44I pulled books out, I dusted underneath the books,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47I put them back in alphabetical order.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49I rearranged everything in the fridge.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Under the bed, pulling out my wardrobe,
0:31:52 > 0:31:54putting everything in colour code.
0:31:54 > 0:32:01I realised I was very irritable, very snappy. My temper was very short.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03The smallest little thing would make me flip.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07I didn't realise at the time it was the diet pills that was causing this.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11After two weeks of acting strangely,
0:32:11 > 0:32:14her mum made her go and see her doctor.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18But at the time I felt like my head was really cluttered.
0:32:18 > 0:32:19I started to get paranoid.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22The smallest little noise would just make me flip.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26I made my mum put up extra curtains because I felt like people
0:32:26 > 0:32:29in the house over there were spying on me and filming me.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33You know, after about a month I didn't know what planet I was on,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35I did not know what planet I was on.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39I finally lost it.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43I was kicking the walls and the banister, screaming and crying.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46And my mum and dad rushed out of the living room, like,
0:32:46 > 0:32:48"What's going on? Calm down!"
0:32:48 > 0:32:51And my dad's like, "Call an ambulance! This can't go on."
0:32:51 > 0:32:54And the mental health team came along with this ambulance.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56They went into my room and had a look around
0:32:56 > 0:32:59and they picked up the diet pills that I'd been taking.
0:32:59 > 0:33:03The next thing I remember I was in the mental health ward.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07I'd totally lost the plot. Totally lost the plot. I wasn't normal.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09Having found the pills she'd been taking,
0:33:09 > 0:33:13the doctors were able to see what had caused her manic behaviour.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15They asked me where I'd got them from.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17They looked at the ingredients
0:33:17 > 0:33:20and they said I shouldn't have bought them on the internet.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24They said it was very silly to buy diet pills on the internet, which is true.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27If I knew then what I know now, there's no way
0:33:27 > 0:33:30I would have wasted my money on those pills
0:33:30 > 0:33:33and poisoned myself with them.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37Experts say only one drug is currently approved in the UK to help lose weight.
0:33:37 > 0:33:43They say there's no evidence that any of the others result in safe, proven, long-term weight-loss,
0:33:43 > 0:33:46and any claims that they do are fake.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49After three months, the pills were finally out of her system.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53Sam was released from hospital and she got on with her life.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55I can't believe I was so naive.
0:33:55 > 0:34:00I never imagined this would be a scam for somebody to get rich quick.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04I didn't think somebody would want to do that to people,
0:34:04 > 0:34:08risk people's health just so that they could get money in their pocket.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12It's really shocking how easy it is to buy these things online.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16They're so accessible and they're not too expensive.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21But I'd never, ever do that again.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25No amount of weight loss is worth what I went through.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Nothing is worth sacrificing your health
0:34:28 > 0:34:30and your mental health, especially.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39Ian, you're an expert in obesity and weight-loss management.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42What we saw there with Samantha was pretty scary stuff.
0:34:42 > 0:34:43How common is it?
0:34:43 > 0:34:47I think it's very common and I think much of it is unseen
0:34:47 > 0:34:49because by the very nature of people
0:34:49 > 0:34:51buying these pills over the internet,
0:34:51 > 0:34:55people want a quick fix. They turn to the thought of medication.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58It's not easily available from your doctor, but it is over the internet.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00So that's the line many people go down.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04In Samantha's case, she bought diet pills online containing a Chinese
0:35:04 > 0:35:08herb which we now know is dangerous and banned in some countries.
0:35:08 > 0:35:09How common is that?
0:35:09 > 0:35:13That particular substance is not used in this country
0:35:13 > 0:35:16because of the adverse cardiovascular effects it has.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20It's a stimulant, and therefore, in order to suppress the appetite,
0:35:20 > 0:35:22it will have other nervous effects
0:35:22 > 0:35:25which can include increased agitation and sleeplessness
0:35:25 > 0:35:28or affecting your pulse rate and your blood pressure.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Samantha's case is very extreme
0:35:30 > 0:35:34but it's something I've come across in other patients in clinical practice,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36and I think it's more common than we realise.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38It's been banned for a reason.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41It's been banned because it's unsafe and unproven.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45Do these pills make you lose weight or do they suppress your appetite?
0:35:45 > 0:35:49There are a whole host of different products available
0:35:49 > 0:35:52over the counter in pharmacies or on the internet.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55They claim to work in a variety of different ways.
0:35:55 > 0:36:00Some of them bind to the fat in your gut so stop you absorbing calories.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Others claim that they decrease your appetite - you eat less -
0:36:04 > 0:36:06and others claim that they increase your metabolism
0:36:06 > 0:36:10so you burn off more energy without any physical activity.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15The truth is there's very little evidence to support the majority of these claims.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17There are very few products on the market
0:36:17 > 0:36:19which we know can help you to lose weight.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Any weight-loss programme that doesn't produce long-term results
0:36:22 > 0:36:25isn't worth embarking on in the first place.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33If you're now at that stage in life where you need one of these,
0:36:33 > 0:36:37you'll have realised by now that your life has just got much busier
0:36:37 > 0:36:39and money a lot, lot tighter.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43And with a good-quality buggy like this costing upwards of £400,
0:36:43 > 0:36:46it'll be no surprise that the fraudsters
0:36:46 > 0:36:48are now cashing in on the act.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Camilla has two boys under two years old.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57When she was heavily pregnant with her second,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00she needed to buy a double buggy before he was born.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03So she tried to buy one online.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06It's not a luxury item. This is a real sort of necessity.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09It would've been really, really difficult
0:37:09 > 0:37:12to have got around without a double buggy
0:37:12 > 0:37:18when my second son was born, because my eldest was only 20, 21 months.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21I'm not quite sure how I would've done it, to be honest.
0:37:21 > 0:37:22Trying to get the best deal,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25she looked online for a cheaper option.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30A friend recommended Gumtree so I went on expecting to buy a second hand one,
0:37:30 > 0:37:36but actually I was sold into buying a new one at the cost of £280.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40She'd have paid at least £350 for a new one in the shops,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43so it was a reasonable online discount.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45And it didn't raise any suspicions.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49I spoke to the man selling it. He told me he was importing them
0:37:49 > 0:37:52and that he wasn't a shop so he was able to reduce the price,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54and it all felt pretty legitimate to me.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58I gave him the money and expected the goods to arrive that week,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00as was promised.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Camilla waited and waited, but the buggy never arrived.
0:38:04 > 0:38:09What should have taken minutes to buy online stretched into months.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12She didn't realise, but she was yet another victim
0:38:12 > 0:38:14of the fake pram salesman.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19Nilesh Mehta, the man selling the buggies on Gumtree and eBay,
0:38:19 > 0:38:22gave his customers endless excuses.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27I have over 40 e-mails and up to about 50 text messages, I think, from him,
0:38:27 > 0:38:30as well as endless conversations.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32I'd expect any conman to do the con,
0:38:32 > 0:38:35get the money and run and never be in touch again.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38But it was completely the opposite. I always felt rather harassed.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42Camilla went into labour and the buggy still hadn't arrived.
0:38:42 > 0:38:48He phoned me just a couple of hours after my son had been born.
0:38:48 > 0:38:50Picked up my mobile and I saw it was him,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53so for some reason I answered it, this new baby in my arms,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56and said, "Are you going to send me my buggy?"
0:38:56 > 0:38:58And the amount of hassle
0:38:58 > 0:39:01of these e-mails, texts - they just took up so much time.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03It's so frustrating, looking back on it,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07how much time this guy wasted that I just didn't have.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10Little did Camilla know that the buggy would never arrive...
0:39:10 > 0:39:12because it didn't even exist.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16And she was not the only victim.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Nilesh Mehta operated from internet cafes
0:39:18 > 0:39:23and racked up at least £20,000 selling non-existent prams
0:39:23 > 0:39:26to young mums all over the UK via the internet.
0:39:26 > 0:39:31He chose his victims carefully, knowing exactly how little time
0:39:31 > 0:39:34they had to chase up the non-existent prams he was selling.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38But the most unlikely person was on his tail.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43Grandmother Jennifer Temple was one of Mehta's previous victims.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45She was furious that he was targeting new mums
0:39:45 > 0:39:48and she wasn't prepared to put up with it.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50He targeted the ideal victim.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53No time, no energy,
0:39:53 > 0:39:57got far better things to do with their life than chase up money.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01And we knew how he behaved by then,
0:40:01 > 0:40:05how intimidating it could be to receive his e-mails
0:40:05 > 0:40:08and his delays and excuses,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11and someone had to fight on their behalf, basically.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Jennifer made it her one-woman mission
0:40:13 > 0:40:16to stop Mehta from conning people online.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20She warned people on forums every time he listed an ad
0:40:20 > 0:40:23and gathered as many of his victims together and she could.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Eventually I set up my own website with his name
0:40:26 > 0:40:28and all his contact details on
0:40:28 > 0:40:31so that anyone who had been defrauded by him
0:40:31 > 0:40:35and got round to Googling him would find it.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41I decided to Google the mobile number that he'd been using to ring me
0:40:41 > 0:40:44and texting him and everything,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47and up popped immediately this site that Jennifer Temple had created,
0:40:47 > 0:40:51which was a sort of, "Have you been scammed by Mehta?" site.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54Mehta's done this to hundreds of other women
0:40:54 > 0:40:58in exactly the same situation, all pregnant, vulnerable,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00no time, not enough money.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03He's exactly preyed on people just like me.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07With each pram costing around £300 and with hundreds of victims,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Mehta was making a fortune.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13They were fake sales because the prams didn't exist,
0:41:13 > 0:41:17but he didn't take Jennifer's cyber attack quietly.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20He told eBay that I was threatening bodily harm,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23and that means automatic suspension.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27There was listing my contact details on the sex ads on Gumtree,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30replying to sex ads as me
0:41:30 > 0:41:35so that I got the replies in terms of phone calls or e-mails.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Lots of silent phone calls.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39One August Bank Holiday weekend,
0:41:39 > 0:41:42I got 50 silent calls from a withheld number
0:41:42 > 0:41:45in an hour, and it was Mehta.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Most of his victims didn't chase Mehta
0:41:47 > 0:41:51because he knew their contact details and addresses.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54But despite such threatening calls and text messages,
0:41:54 > 0:41:56Jennifer was undeterred.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59She just didn't expect it to take four years
0:41:59 > 0:42:03to bring down the fake pram salesman's fraudulent empire.
0:42:03 > 0:42:08I wasn't going to give up because he had to be brought to justice.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12What he was doing was so unfair, so nasty,
0:42:12 > 0:42:17so sadistic in the way he was doing it that he had to be stopped.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21Finally, all of Jennifer's work over the four years paid off
0:42:21 > 0:42:24as she tipped off the police with the location
0:42:24 > 0:42:26that he was listing from while on bail.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29He was arrested at a computer!
0:42:31 > 0:42:35At a grubby-looking internet cafe in Manchester,
0:42:35 > 0:42:38dragged before the courts
0:42:38 > 0:42:41and he was sentenced that afternoon to three years.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45It was a relief that it was at an end at last,
0:42:45 > 0:42:49and that he wouldn't be able to con any more young mums.
0:42:54 > 0:42:58That's all from Fake Britain today. Bye for now.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:20 > 0:43:23E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk