0:00:03 > 0:00:07Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Get up! Put your hands behind your back now!
0:00:25 > 0:00:27In this series,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29I'm going to be investigating the world of the criminals,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31who make their money at your expense.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34And I'll be showing you how not to get ripped off.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35..Police officer, wait there.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Coming up...
0:00:37 > 0:00:38The hunt for a passport faker
0:00:38 > 0:00:42turns up more than the Border Agency bargained for.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Unlucky for them and lucky for us.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48The animals cruelly killed by the fashion fakers.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52Some of these animals are clearly still alive and conscious
0:00:52 > 0:00:54as they're being skinned.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56The fake perfumes for sale at full price.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59I think that what's in here is absolutely shocking.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01And the astounding amounts of money
0:01:01 > 0:01:03fakers are trying to sneak into the UK.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Hundreds of thousands, if not getting close to millions now.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15A major operation by the police and UK Border Agency
0:01:15 > 0:01:19is about to get underway in south-east London.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21It's designed to tackle serious criminality
0:01:21 > 0:01:23and international identity fraud.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25- I've got two walking out the back. - What?
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And for officers on the ground,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31it presented an unexpected chain of events that leads to a major arrest.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Send the dog into the garden, flush them out.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36And it all started one morning
0:01:36 > 0:01:39with a search at a Heathrow Airport cargo plant.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43Detecting possible frauds in cargo shipped through Heathrow Airport
0:01:43 > 0:01:47is a major part of the work of the UK Border Agency.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Detection officers here see everything from drugs to firearms
0:01:50 > 0:01:54hidden in the consignments coming through the airport.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57But the scale of one find surprised even them.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59We had a shipment to examine
0:01:59 > 0:02:02that was selected by a freight targeting officer.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07It was a large cardboard box from Africa.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11And when we opened it, we found packets of hair attachments
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and hair accessories.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16But Amajit was suspicious
0:02:16 > 0:02:19about the feel of the packaging on the hair extensions.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23I could feel something hard and flat inside.
0:02:23 > 0:02:24So I used my knife to open it
0:02:24 > 0:02:29and I pulled out a package that appeared to be a passport.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32We found a total of 147 passports
0:02:32 > 0:02:37concealed in various packages within the shipment.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40It's one of the largest seizures we've found.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44These passports would have been used to set up false identities in the UK.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Finding them will trigger a major operation.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48The passports were seized
0:02:48 > 0:02:53and they were referred to the UK Border Agency crime team
0:02:53 > 0:02:55for further investigation.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58The evidence is sent across London to a specialist crime team
0:02:58 > 0:03:00led by Andy Russell.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03And these are what was found in the box.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05To this extent, with these amount of passports,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08you'd have to suggest that there's some sort of organised crime link
0:03:08 > 0:03:10to these passports.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14So the value, roughly £5,000 a time, that is a lot of money being made.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Some passports are more valuable than others.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18All of these have entry visas
0:03:18 > 0:03:22that will allow the holder to work in the UK or claim benefits.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Andy's team work undercover, so we can't show their faces.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29But they are about to raid the address the package was heading for.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31The person expecting the package
0:03:31 > 0:03:34doesn't realise the border agency have seized it.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37They're expecting delivery any minute.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39They think the package is on the way.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42It has been arranged by the delivery company
0:03:42 > 0:03:46that the package will be delivered between the hours of 10 and 11 today.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49As you're aware, the traffic is quite busy,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51we are running slightly late.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55However, we will deliver that package for her.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59At the target address, a van full of police and order agency officers
0:03:59 > 0:04:02is not what the owner was expecting.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06Sit down. Listen, just relax, just sit down and relax.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08What the officers are doing now,
0:04:08 > 0:04:13they're explaining to the lady who was the recipient of the parcel, why we are here.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17And explaining that the package that she was importing from Lagos
0:04:17 > 0:04:18has been intercepted.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Whilst that's being explained to her,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23a search will be carried out of the premises
0:04:23 > 0:04:25and then we'll probably move on to her home address.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28There's no sign of fake identity documents here.
0:04:28 > 0:04:33So officers move on to her nearby home address.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37They've got the front door key so it's an easy entry.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39But before they do a full search on this house,
0:04:39 > 0:04:43officers spot something happening in the back garden next door.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Down there. Two of them, they were on the phone.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- We've got two walking out the back. - What?
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Two men have fled the house and are hiding in the back garden.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51Guys, what are you doing?
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- They came from the second garden. - What are you doing?
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Wait there, I'm a police officer. Wait there!
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Two men have been spotted hidden in the bushes,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02but they're not stopping to chat.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06And in a moment, we'll find out why they ran from the police.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Southampton docks is the country's second-largest container terminal
0:05:17 > 0:05:22and one of the UK's main trade hubs with the rest of the world.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Thousands of giant containers pass through it each week.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34And the UK Border Agency's fake detection teams
0:05:34 > 0:05:36have the task of searching them.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39They've got some very special hardware to help.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41This is a mobile scanner.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44It can be driven over even the largest containers
0:05:44 > 0:05:46that come through the port.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51The scanner acts like an X-ray,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54allowing officers to see inside the box.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58The container they've stopped here
0:05:58 > 0:06:00is one of a shipment of six from China.
0:06:00 > 0:06:01When they scanned it,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03officers thought the stocking boxes inside
0:06:03 > 0:06:07looked too densely packed to be legitimate goods.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10The officer just passed out these boots.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14They look like Ugg boots, or they could possibly be Ugg boots.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Erm...
0:06:16 > 0:06:19But the back label, here you'd expect to see a label on there,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21it looks like there's a space for a label.
0:06:21 > 0:06:27This looks very familiar to what we'd see as a proper Ugg boot sole.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29This potentially looks like it may be copied
0:06:29 > 0:06:33because the quality of it doesn't look like the quality we'd expect
0:06:33 > 0:06:35from what is quite an expensive product.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Despite costing up to £250 a pair, genuine Ugg boots
0:06:39 > 0:06:44are one of the fashion footwear success stories of the decade.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45Demand for them is massive,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48and that makes them very attractive to the counterfeiters.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Officers suspect these are all fakes.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56I'm looking at the markings on there as well.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59It doesn't look particularly good quality packaging.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02For a premium product, you'd expect it to be packaged in a good way.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04Again, this isn't how we'd expect it to be.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06They look quite a cheap finish,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08for what you'd expect to retail of about £200.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Real Uggs have a copyrighted sole design,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15and officers think these boots are an attempt to directly fake it.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18If not as skilfully as on the real thing.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21You can see some of the glue is still around the sole here.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Not what you'd expect for a £200 product.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Officers knew that if their initial suspicions were correct,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31they had made a major find of counterfeit goods.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35They examined the crate and the remaining five in the shipment,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38finding more than 40,000 pairs of boots
0:07:38 > 0:07:40that were about to flood the UK market.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43This wasn't the work of petty criminals.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46There's serious organised crime behind this.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50They use the money from this to fund more sinister things.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55This could be things like terrorism, drug smuggling, cigarette smuggling.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57So many things that will cause problems within the UK.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01It was a huge haul of boots
0:08:01 > 0:08:05and the manufacturers quickly confirmed none of them were real.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07As far as I'm aware,
0:08:07 > 0:08:08this seizure we've made today
0:08:08 > 0:08:11is the biggest seizure of Ugg counterfeit boots
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and certainly the biggest we've ever had here in Southampton.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17We believe the retail value, if they were sold,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20would be towards the £9 million mark.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22The quality of these,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26we have had some guidance they would possibly be sold in markets
0:08:26 > 0:08:28for between £60-£80.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30The public will not be going out there
0:08:30 > 0:08:32buying cheap quality, poor products,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34which may also have some health concerns
0:08:34 > 0:08:36because we are aware that some of the dyes
0:08:36 > 0:08:39that are used in colouring these boots
0:08:39 > 0:08:42have had some chemicals that aren't controlled in any way.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45There is a health issue to this as well.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47It was a major success for the UK Border Agency.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51But there's another aspect to the trade in fake Ugg boots
0:08:51 > 0:08:53that goes beyond economics and organised crime,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55and will shock and disturb you.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Animal rights campaigners have identified intense cruelty
0:08:58 > 0:09:01linked to a small number of counterfeit boots.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04And later on, we'll find out why.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Earlier on, we saw the UK Border Agency
0:09:12 > 0:09:14and police teams in south-east London
0:09:14 > 0:09:17on the trail of some fake passports.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19But as they carried out their searches,
0:09:19 > 0:09:21two men mysteriously ran from the house next door.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23What are you doing? Wait there,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25I'm a police officer. Wait there!
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Now officers are hot on their heels.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30They race to cut off possible escape routes for the runaways.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Another officer drives off in the direction the men ran.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38The property has multiple escape routes to cover
0:09:38 > 0:09:41and there are many hiding places in the overgrown back gardens.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43But the officers have got a plan.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46A dog unit, yeah, we could...
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Be helpful.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52A search dog has been called in to try and pick up a scent
0:09:52 > 0:09:54if the escapees are still in the area.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01But there's still confusion on the ground.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03The men ran from the house next door
0:10:03 > 0:10:06to the one the officers were searching.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09They weren't the targets of this operation, so why have they run?
0:10:09 > 0:10:11They might be about to find out.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13It sounds like the dog's found something.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15BARKING
0:10:15 > 0:10:18- Oh, he might have found something. - He's in the other garden.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20There's someone hiding under a bush.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22It looks like one of the men who ran.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24All the officers know at this stage
0:10:24 > 0:10:27is that he ran from a neighbouring property.
0:10:27 > 0:10:28One man is still on the loose,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32but they will question the one they've caught and search his house
0:10:32 > 0:10:33to find out what he's been hiding.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Hands behind your back.
0:10:35 > 0:10:36And as he's led away,
0:10:36 > 0:10:40the dog handler's found more evidence at the scene.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Where the person that was detained was found,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I always go back and search where they were,
0:10:45 > 0:10:48just to see if they've discarded anything.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51The dog's indicated there's a couple of items down there.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52When I've had a closer look,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I haven't them touched them in any way,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57it seems to be a couple of mobile phones.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01The phones could hold important evidence about why he ran.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05A serious passport fraud was what prompted this operation.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09At the original target, a search hasn't yielded any new evidence,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13but the woman is taken for questioning to the station.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Now they have to find out why the mystery man ran.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18What I need to try and figure out though,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21are you running because you're an illegal immigrant
0:11:21 > 0:11:22and that's why you legged it?
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Or are you running because you're in serious BLEEP with criminal matters?
0:11:25 > 0:11:30As you are aware, the gentleman ran from the main house earlier.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32What we're trying to establish now,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35is the name he has given is not his real name.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37The immigration officer is with us,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40she's had a photograph sent through via her phone.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Obviously they don't correspond
0:11:41 > 0:11:43with the chap we've got in the back of the van.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46We're trying to establish now, A, his real name,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49and B, whether he's involved in this criminality,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53or he's got a reason to hide through the immigration status.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57And a thorough search of a wardrobe at the mystery man's house
0:11:57 > 0:12:00has turned up a very good reason why he might have run.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02This, we think, is possibly crack,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06but I've not seen it in squares before.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07And more.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09And we've got two pots of bicarbonate of soda
0:12:09 > 0:12:11which is another mixing agent.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13The very presence of police nearby
0:12:13 > 0:12:15seems to have made the men panic and flee.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18There are more reasons to run from the authorities in another room.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23A little hatch here and another bag which I'll put on the bed.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27There's obviously more of exactly the same we saw in the other room,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31the big squares of whatever it is, compacted coke or some kind of drug.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Underneath this top here, there was this bag
0:12:36 > 0:12:39containing all of this stuff.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43As you can see there, about 15 grams worth of smaller rocks
0:12:43 > 0:12:45like we found in the other room,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47another set of weighing scales
0:12:47 > 0:12:51and some more bags containing...
0:12:51 > 0:12:55which haven't been opened up, but feel like white powder,
0:12:55 > 0:12:57and to look at, white powder again.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00The officers would never have searched this house
0:13:00 > 0:13:01if the men hadn't run.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Sometimes you need a bit of luck.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Unlucky for them and lucky for us.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08As you can see, these type of jobs,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10although we've come in here
0:13:10 > 0:13:13primarily for the materials in the package,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16on the extensive searches carried out by the officers,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19they uncover a variety of things. On this occasion,
0:13:19 > 0:13:23they seem to have uncovered quite a significant drug find.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25It probably is some form of rock...
0:13:25 > 0:13:28crack cocaine in rock form.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30They found evidence of fake identities
0:13:30 > 0:13:32for the man they arrested.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34And the man who escaped has left behind
0:13:34 > 0:13:36identity documents of his own.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39We've got an African name of a guy
0:13:39 > 0:13:42which we assume is probably the guy that's run away.
0:13:42 > 0:13:47Then a travel card with a different name, a French name.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51Then elsewhere in the wardrobe, we found a crib sheet
0:13:51 > 0:13:54which basically lists that French name, the date of birth,
0:13:54 > 0:13:55what his nationality is.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And this is his crib sheet so he can actually remember
0:13:58 > 0:14:00who he's purporting to be with his fake identity.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05With the search complete, the suspect is about to get bad news.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07He thought police only had him for immigration offences,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10but now he's been arrested for the drugs.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand that? OK.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21For the UK Border Agency and the police,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23stopping the passports was crucial
0:14:23 > 0:14:25and uncovering the drugs as well
0:14:25 > 0:14:28has turned this operation into a major success.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31The shop owner was not charged,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34but the passports are still being investigated.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38The man arrested running from the police was not charged
0:14:38 > 0:14:41with drug offences but will be removed from the UK.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44If he'd have stayed in his house, then the chances are,
0:14:44 > 0:14:45he would still be sat at home.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53There may be a recession across Europe
0:14:53 > 0:14:54but on the British high street,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57one product has bucked the trend and sold well.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Perfume.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03We like our scent so much in the UK that in recent years
0:15:03 > 0:15:07the perfume market has been worth nearly £2 billion here.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Even in hard times, it seems people are keen to smell good.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14But what most customers don't realise
0:15:14 > 0:15:18is that as many as one in three of us have bought fake perfume.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Such a big market is irresistible to the criminals.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Hounslow Trading Standards and the police are getting ready
0:15:26 > 0:15:28to raid a local market in West London.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31We can't show most of the officers' faces
0:15:31 > 0:15:33due to the nature of their work,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37but covert teams have visited the market this morning to confirm
0:15:37 > 0:15:40that certain counterfeit goods are on sale.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43It's in the first... the second row, sorry, on the left-hand side.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44That's it. Right.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47If you go in from this one, these two here are mega today.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48There's a lot of product there.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53One of their main targets is a seller dealing in fake perfumes.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Previous operations by trading standards have uncovered fakes
0:15:57 > 0:16:01that cause skin rashes and some even contain horse urine.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04A trader in Newport got two years' jail
0:16:04 > 0:16:07for having more than 600 bottles of fake perfume.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13The team arrive at the market and hit the target's stall.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14But there's a problem.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17They think spotters working for the counterfeiters
0:16:17 > 0:16:19have tipped off the stall holder
0:16:19 > 0:16:21that Police and Trading Standards have arrived.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23The stall owners have run.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27When the stall holders saw the police and me approaching the stall,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29they basically did a runner.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34Apart from the perfume, they've also got lots of clothing.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Some of this is Ralph Lauren clothing
0:16:36 > 0:16:38which is obviously...
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Most of it is a counterfeit.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44They wouldn't have done a runner unless it was a counterfeit.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Everything you see here is believed to be a fake.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51The counterfeit perfume market is worth as much as
0:16:51 > 0:16:54£319 million a year
0:16:54 > 0:16:58and costs the Exchequer tens of millions in lost taxes.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01And absolutely none of this will have been through
0:17:01 > 0:17:03any testing procedure to make sure it's safe.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Roger Dove is one of this country's
0:17:07 > 0:17:09most exclusive perfumers.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14He has a studio in Harrods and makes bespoke fragrances for clients.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16He can see potential for harm with fakes.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20People are making these products with not scant regard,
0:17:20 > 0:17:24no regard to what's inside the bottle.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27I don't believe that it can lead to anything other than
0:17:27 > 0:17:29allergic reactions,
0:17:29 > 0:17:33'disappointment and general damage to my industry.'
0:17:36 > 0:17:40But buyers in West London may not be aware of what they're getting
0:17:40 > 0:17:43because even with officers seizing the stock,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45they're still bargain hunting.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47It's shut. Finished.
0:17:47 > 0:17:48Not good stuff, yeah?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Probably burn your skin if you put that on there.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54But for others,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58the revelation that this is all fake is a worrying development.
0:18:00 > 0:18:01Yeah, it is.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Put it on your skin and half your skin will probably come off.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11She has sensitive skin,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14so you've got to be really careful now
0:18:14 > 0:18:17cos obviously fake stuff can really damage you, can't it?
0:18:18 > 0:18:21All the stock is seized and will be used as evidence.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23The stallholder may have run today,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27but the team here will still attempt to find and prosecute him.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Many of the bottles of perfumes
0:18:29 > 0:18:32and some of the boxes
0:18:32 > 0:18:36will have fingerprints on them.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39We've also seized some of the documents listing
0:18:39 > 0:18:42cash payments they've given and received
0:18:42 > 0:18:45and bought and the stock. So obviously,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48if we catch up with them at some stage in another market,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51whatever evidence we gather here can be used
0:18:51 > 0:18:54to identify the people involved behind this.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57The search for the runaway trader will continue.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00And in a moment, we'll find out about the audacious online
0:19:00 > 0:19:04perfume fraud that's fooling thousands across the country.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Earlier, we saw how the detection teams at Heathrow
0:19:14 > 0:19:16had a major find of fake passports.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19Today, they're back out searching again for other fakes
0:19:19 > 0:19:21and sometimes that can mean investigating
0:19:21 > 0:19:24even the most unusual-looking shipments.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29But it's not carved elephants or fake identity documents
0:19:29 > 0:19:32that's caught their attention today.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35It's a letter containing a cheque for 10 million.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40What we've just found is some correspondence...
0:19:41 > 0:19:43..in a document package.
0:19:43 > 0:19:49It's some kind of... like an investment opportunity
0:19:49 > 0:19:52with a cheque which is quite large
0:19:52 > 0:19:58and it could be something that's a scam
0:19:58 > 0:20:00or some kind of fraud being committed.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03The letter is addressed to a man who appears
0:20:03 > 0:20:07to have already handed over £30,000 to the fakers,
0:20:07 > 0:20:11probably in the mistaken belief that he now owns a share
0:20:11 > 0:20:13in the Nigerian Cocoa Oil Company.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17This is a receipt from the company in Nigeria...
0:20:18 > 0:20:24..of a payment that has been given to them of 30,000.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28So whoever it is has already paid 30,000.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32But the amount of interest he will be getting is 10 million.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36I don't know any investment which is that good.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40And the big value cheque itself is quite crude.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44The cheque itself is a Nigerian originating cheque.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48It would be like if I wrote out a cheque
0:20:48 > 0:20:50from a normal UK bank account
0:20:50 > 0:20:52with a dollar sign. You can't do that.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56So it appears that this cheque for 10 million US dollars
0:20:56 > 0:20:58will probably bounce.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02The team suspect that this is evidence of a fraudulent transaction
0:21:02 > 0:21:07and want to see if they can contact the company that supposedly issued the cheque.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10When we've done checks, this company doesn't even exist.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15we can't even find any track of it. So it's almost 100% a scam.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Scams requesting investment for companies in West Africa
0:21:18 > 0:21:21are common and the team will inform the recipient
0:21:21 > 0:21:23that they were suspicious of what was being sent to him...
0:21:23 > 0:21:26and of the free gift he's been given.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28That was found within the packaging and the certificate,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31investment certificate, and the cheque.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35It doesn't seem consistent, sending a T-shirt.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37That's not the sort of gift
0:21:37 > 0:21:39that a large corporation
0:21:39 > 0:21:44who's issuing a cheque for 10 million US dollars would give to an investor.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47On here, it says, Cocoa Oil Investment Nigeria.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50It's got Crude Oil Investment Nigeria.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52It's not even the same company.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55And as the team continue to search through packages,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59they find evidence of an even bigger financial crime
0:21:59 > 0:22:03that has grown in recent years, just as the economy has worsened.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05There's a quantity of what appears to be
0:22:05 > 0:22:10individual 500 euro travellers' cheques.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17These are most likely to be forgeries.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20There's a large number of cheques in the package.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23This sum of money would normally be under armed guard
0:22:23 > 0:22:26rather than stuffed into an air freight envelope.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30The silver foil... When you get very close,
0:22:30 > 0:22:31it's very roughly put on.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34It's not like a normal American Express traveller's cheques
0:22:34 > 0:22:36that are quite good quality.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40You can also see the quality of the ink.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43There's a faintness in the quality. and the numbers...
0:22:45 > 0:22:48..are slightly smudged.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The team will have to count out every single note
0:22:51 > 0:22:54to figure out the scale of this attempted fraud.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57But in a time of economic hardship,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00few people can afford to be passed a fake 500 euro cheque.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03And the search seems to have yielded more fakes.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Layers of newspaper and layers of cashier cheques.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10All different amounts of US dollars.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Different banks.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15All around about the 3,000 mark.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18So someone would try and take that into a bank,
0:23:18 > 0:23:19try and cash it for that amount.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Because it's not too large,
0:23:21 > 0:23:24there's a distinct possibility it'd get through.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Someone will try and cash that. Have you got quite a few?
0:23:27 > 0:23:31- Layers and layers of newspaper. - There's more?- Cheques in between.
0:23:31 > 0:23:32There's loads of them.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36And the counterfeiters have tried to beat the detection teams
0:23:36 > 0:23:38with something inside the package.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41There you go. You see, they wrap it in carbon as well.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43They put a layer of carbon because
0:23:43 > 0:23:45they believe it's going to defeat the X-rays.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47It doesn't work though.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49And we have...
0:23:49 > 0:23:53US dollar cheques that are pre-printed
0:23:53 > 0:23:56so they'll try and cash them in to get the money.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59And the finds continue.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03These are postal money orders this time.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07In this batch of cheques alone, there's about 150,000 euros.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10That's the fifth packet of fake cheques
0:24:10 > 0:24:15and many are going to an anonymous pick-up address in the UK
0:24:15 > 0:24:17to help the fraudster avoid detection.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21By the end of the search, a huge sum of fake money has been seized,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25all of which would have been used for fraud against UK businesses.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30A busy morning. We've had in total five cheque job seizures...
0:24:31 > 0:24:35..postal orders, money orders, travellers' cheques,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37all from Nigeria.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39They account to hundreds of thousands,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41if not getting close to millions, now.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44It's a very common thing. These can be found
0:24:44 > 0:24:45on literally a daily basis,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47this sort of the amount of money coming through.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51So it's a very regular thing.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54It's becoming quite a big part of our job.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56It's very time-consuming.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06We saw how a UK Border Agency team at Southampton
0:25:06 > 0:25:09foiled an attempt to flood the UK with fake Ugg boots.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12But the gangs behind some counterfeiting of boots
0:25:12 > 0:25:15will sink far lower than simply making fakes.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Mark Jones is a qualified vet
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and executive director of the Humane Society.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24I'm watching footage of the...
0:25:25 > 0:25:27..fur farming process in China.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29I've seen it many, many times
0:25:29 > 0:25:32but it's still incredibly difficult to watch.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36The footage was captured by undercover charity investigators
0:25:36 > 0:25:38at a Chinese fur farm.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42The footage shows raccoon dogs and foxes
0:25:42 > 0:25:44in tiny, tiny cages,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47barely room to turn around.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50And most disturbingly of all,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53it shows these animals being taken from their cages
0:25:53 > 0:25:57and just literally beaten on the ground,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00in order to knock them senseless,
0:26:00 > 0:26:01and then being skinned.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07Some of these animals are clearly still alive and conscious
0:26:07 > 0:26:08as they're being skinned.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12The fur produced in these farms has been found in some shipments
0:26:12 > 0:26:13of fake Ugg boots.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16The raccoon dogs are a member of the canine family.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20They look similar to foxes and are common in parts of Asia and Russia.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Now, it's not illegal to use their fur,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25but few people would agree with how they're being treated.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29We know that these counterfeit boots
0:26:29 > 0:26:32have been available on the high street in Australia.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35And we know that while we haven't seen them
0:26:35 > 0:26:36on the high street in the UK,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39they have been made available through websites.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43So people may be able to get hold of them here.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48The boots seized at Southampton all had man-made synthetic linings.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50But boots bought from unofficial online sites
0:26:50 > 0:26:54could have fur produced in the cruellest conditions.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56This is a counterfeit Ugg boot.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01It looks very similar in structure and in style to a real Ugg boot.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03But what we have on it is all this fur trim,
0:27:03 > 0:27:08and this fur we've analysed, and it comes from the raccoon dogs.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13And this fur will have been derived from raccoon dog farms in China
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and those animals will have been brutally slaughtered
0:27:16 > 0:27:19in order to produce this product.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24We all like a bargain, but the cost to the animals slaughtered
0:27:24 > 0:27:27to make the boot seen here was anything but cheap.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30I think that a lot of people make the assumption
0:27:30 > 0:27:32that if an item is cheap,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35it probably contains fake rather than real fur.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38However, that's simply not the case.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42People can be very easily fooled into buying real fur
0:27:42 > 0:27:47and effectively providing funding for the cruelty and abuse
0:27:47 > 0:27:50that goes on on fur farms.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02It's 5am in Harrow, North London.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Members of the council's counter-fraud team
0:28:04 > 0:28:06are up early today and are off to visit tenants
0:28:06 > 0:28:08in some of the council's properties.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12The homes are meant to be let out to people with a real need,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15but investigators suspect that the people the council are letting
0:28:15 > 0:28:19some of their houses to have sub-let them out to someone else.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Across the UK, there are thousands of fake landlords
0:28:26 > 0:28:29sub-letting houses given to them by their council.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32It's illegal to sub-let,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35but it also prevents the 1.8 million families
0:28:35 > 0:28:37on council house waiting lists
0:28:37 > 0:28:40from getting the home they desperately need.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43By paying an early morning visit, the team hope to establish
0:28:43 > 0:28:46who is really living in the council properties.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49So if they're not living there and that's not their main residence,
0:28:49 > 0:28:53then we would be seeking to have the property returned to us.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Officers have intelligence that a tenant in one of their flats here
0:28:56 > 0:29:00has moved out and sub-let the property to someone else.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02And they can hear voices from inside.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06This is Harrow Council. Can you open the door, please?
0:29:06 > 0:29:08We can hear you're in there.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12Is there a reason you won't open the door to us?
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Yeah, we were expecting an older lady.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19The voice that came back was obviously a young female
0:29:19 > 0:29:22who's obviously aware, we've identified ourselves,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25and is now not wanting to open the door.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27Hello.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30The tenant who's supposed to live here will be called in
0:29:30 > 0:29:32for an interview and may lose the flat.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34But as dawn breaks, the team move on
0:29:34 > 0:29:36to another property they have suspicions about.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40The intel is that they're paying rent.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43We've got names...
0:29:43 > 0:29:45what they look like and age group.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48We believe the actual tenant is living in Dubai.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Time to see who's in.
0:29:51 > 0:29:52KNOCKING ON DOOR
0:30:00 > 0:30:03- Hello. Hi. - We're from Harrow Council.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05- Are you Mr- BLEEP?
0:30:07 > 0:30:11- Yes?- No.- No? Who are you, sorry, sir?
0:30:12 > 0:30:15My name's Sonia Mukherjee. We're calling from...
0:30:15 > 0:30:17- Sorry...- Hello?
0:30:20 > 0:30:22SHE BANGS ON DOOR
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Sir, can you open the door, please?
0:30:24 > 0:30:27No? He's not going to open.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30But slamming the door in the team's faces isn't going to make them
0:30:30 > 0:30:33drop the matter. They'll now launch a full investigation.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37He saw who we were then promptly shut the door on us
0:30:37 > 0:30:41and would not allow us into the property to speak to them.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43This will just arouse our suspicions even more and now we have to do
0:30:43 > 0:30:47even more legwork to try to establish who is in the property.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Hopefully, if they're not in the property,
0:30:49 > 0:30:51the people who are supposed to will get the properties back.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54There are people all over London...
0:30:56 > 0:30:58..desperately needing somewhere to live,
0:30:58 > 0:31:00families, single people, couples,
0:31:00 > 0:31:02and when you see...
0:31:03 > 0:31:05..like we've seen this morning,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08obviously not the people who should be there,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11it is annoying.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15So you get a sense of, erm...
0:31:15 > 0:31:17- Righting the justice.- Yeah, yeah.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21Sorting it out so that people who really do need somewhere to live,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25people who deserve to have somewhere decent to live
0:31:25 > 0:31:27can get that place.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29With tenants now under scrutiny,
0:31:29 > 0:31:31the team think they're now on the right track.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34But they have another early-morning visit planned.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37They believe the man who should be living at this address has moved out
0:31:37 > 0:31:41and sub-let it to a family who aren't on their housing list.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45KNOCKING ON DOOR
0:31:47 > 0:31:51- Good morning. I'm from Harrow Council. My name's Peter Biggs.- Yep.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55- Are you... Can I take your name? - Yeah.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- Your name, sir?- BLEEP.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01This isn't the man who the council let the property to.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03How long have you lived here, sir?
0:32:07 > 0:32:08You've been here about a month?
0:32:08 > 0:32:11So, in all, there are five of you living here.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15You and your wife, two children and the owner of the property
0:32:15 > 0:32:17and nobody else?
0:32:17 > 0:32:18That's news to the council.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22They have no record of this man or his family.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25And so do you pay any rent to him at all?
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Do you pay any for living here?
0:32:32 > 0:32:35OK. How much are you paying for rent?
0:32:35 > 0:32:36£300. OK.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40The man claims the person the council rent the property to
0:32:40 > 0:32:44also lives here with them but Sonia's spotted something.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48All the pictures here are of you and your family
0:32:48 > 0:32:49and you've been here a month?
0:32:49 > 0:32:53- Can we have a quick look around the property, please.- Sure you can.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Thank you.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59The investigators are looking for any sign
0:32:59 > 0:33:01that the actual tenant is living here.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05Where does he keep his clothes and belongings?
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Both bedrooms are being used by the family.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10There doesn't seem to be any spare space.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13He uses what bed, sorry?
0:33:13 > 0:33:15What bed? There's no mattress.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17The team aren't convinced.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21There is nothing to indicate that he is living here. There is no bedding.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24You've shown me a place on the floor.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26He goes to sleep there.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30- Are you maintaining to me that he's living here?- Yeah.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33OK. So, what time did he leave this morning then?
0:33:33 > 0:33:36Can you tell me what time he left this morning?
0:33:36 > 0:33:41The man's not sure what time his supposed house sharer left
0:33:41 > 0:33:45- and all his answers seem patchy. - How old do you think he is?
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Give or take.
0:33:53 > 0:33:58- OK. There is nothing to indicate that Mr- BLEEP- is living here.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02You've shown me some clothes which quite frankly could be yours or his.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06There's no space for him to actually sleep.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08I don't believe he's living here.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12If the investigators can prove the proper tenant is sub-letting,
0:34:12 > 0:34:16they can take back the house and give it to somebody in need.
0:34:16 > 0:34:17Time to give him a ring.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20- Hello. Is that Mr- BLEEP?
0:34:20 > 0:34:24Yeah, hello. This is Sonia Mukherjee. I'm calling from Harrow Council.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27We've come to do a visit on your property
0:34:27 > 0:34:30and we found, obviously, someone else here.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32When did you last come to this house?
0:34:34 > 0:34:36The day before what?
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Which one is it, sir? Which one is it?
0:34:44 > 0:34:45Which day... It's not a hard question.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49When were you last at this property?
0:34:49 > 0:34:51- Hello, Mr- BLEEP?
0:34:51 > 0:34:53He's hung up.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55You've just told me he was here yesterday.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57I've just spoken to him on the phone
0:34:57 > 0:35:00and he seemed unable to tell me when he was last here.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04I also asked him when he left. He was unable to answer that.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07- Now, as I said, I don't believe that Mr- BLEEP- lives here,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09I believe he's elsewhere
0:35:09 > 0:35:12and that you are renting this property from him.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14So, I'm going to ask you specifically.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16- Do you rent this property from Mr- BLEEP?
0:35:16 > 0:35:20- No, I don't.- You don't?- No. - But you pay him rent?
0:35:20 > 0:35:22- Yeah, I'm paying the rent. - You share the property with him,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24there's no evidence of him living here,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27he can't tell me when he was last here
0:35:27 > 0:35:28except you tell me it was yesterday.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31And you're telling me that he's living here.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34There is no... All the pictures of you and your family.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36No pictures of his family.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38We are his family.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42Everything here in this house indicates that you're living here.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44After half-an-hour at the property,
0:35:44 > 0:35:46the investigators think they've seen enough.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49There was nothing in the property to indicate that he was there.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52If you looked at the bedding, where the children were,
0:35:52 > 0:35:54there was nothing in there.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56When were you last at home?
0:35:56 > 0:35:59The man Harrow Council found living in the flat
0:35:59 > 0:36:01has now moved out with his family.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03The actual tenant has since had his claim to the flat removed
0:36:03 > 0:36:07by the council who have instead moved in a new family
0:36:07 > 0:36:09from their waiting list.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19We've already seen how fake perfume sellers
0:36:19 > 0:36:20operate at Britain's markets,
0:36:20 > 0:36:25but the biggest growth area for fraudulent sales has been online.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30One trading standards-backed organisation says they're being
0:36:30 > 0:36:34inundated with calls from victims of the fake perfume websites.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40I'd say about 10% of the reports we get from consumers telling us
0:36:40 > 0:36:43about counterfeit sites and products they've bought online which are fake
0:36:43 > 0:36:45are perfume based.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51One buyer who contacted Brand-i is Kelly Compton from Uxbridge.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54She spent £150 on four perfumes
0:36:54 > 0:36:58from a website called theessencestore.com
0:36:58 > 0:37:01but is worried they sold her fakes.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04We're going to try and help her find out if that's true.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08Roger Dove is what's known as a nose.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11He is a former perfumer at Guerlain
0:37:11 > 0:37:14where he was known as a professor of perfume.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16He now runs his own perfume company
0:37:16 > 0:37:20and is probably the United Kingdom's most experienced perfume maker.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24He thinks there's no way the counterfeiters could make
0:37:24 > 0:37:27convincing scents because the ingredients in many brands
0:37:27 > 0:37:29are just too expensive.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34For example, with jasmine, the finest costs £34,000 a kilo.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36It's more than gold bullion.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39You can buy jasmine for a few thousand pounds.
0:37:39 > 0:37:43Or with sandalwood, the sandalwood I use generally is 50-years-old.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48With fake fragrances or copy fragrances,
0:37:48 > 0:37:50there is no way that they can replicate
0:37:50 > 0:37:53the spirit of the original creation.
0:37:53 > 0:37:54It's just impossible.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58Roger has agreed to cast his nose over the perfumes
0:37:58 > 0:38:02Kelly bought online and let her know if her suspicions are correct
0:38:02 > 0:38:05and she has bought £150 worth of fakes.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08Hello, Kelly. Let's have a look at what you've got here.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12The first one of these is supposed to be Gucci Rush.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16But I think that if you were sort of...
0:38:16 > 0:38:19shown it very quickly and being made to make a decision quickly
0:38:19 > 0:38:21then maybe you could be tricked by it.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26I sprayed some of this scent earlier and it's too fruity.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Gucci Rush is what we would call a chypre,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32which are perfumes based around mosses and woods.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34Certainly, it has a touch of that about it.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36But it dissipates very quickly.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39For me, it doesn't have the complexity or the depth
0:38:39 > 0:38:43that I would expect to smell when I smell Gucci Rush.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46That fake has cost Kelly more than £30.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50So, the next one you've got here is Paco Rabanne's Black XS.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57I think it feels a little bit like a photocopy of the original.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00Somewhere, you can smell there's an echo of it.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04Where did you get these things?!
0:39:04 > 0:39:06That's also a £30 fake.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10The next one is very funny.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Just to look at it is funny. Kenzo Amour.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18The bottle is a so cheaply made.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22That's how I received it, with all the scratches.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24It's utterly astonishing.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28I think that they work on the first impression
0:39:28 > 0:39:31and they're generally the most inexpensive ingredients
0:39:31 > 0:39:34inside the formula, generally.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38But then as the scent dries down, what you get is this thinness.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43That's £40 wasted and Kelly's final perfume is Flowerbomb,
0:39:43 > 0:39:45a £65 fragrance,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47but available at theessencestore.com
0:39:47 > 0:39:50for a tempting 50 quid a bottle.
0:39:50 > 0:39:54There are just so many things that are wrong with this.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56The moulding is shocking.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00The glass looks almost like frosted glass you would see in a lavatory.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07And I think that's what's in here is absolutely shocking.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10To think that this is anything like Flowerbomb is just...
0:40:11 > 0:40:14I think you'd have to have a very vivid imagination
0:40:14 > 0:40:16to think that this is anything like the original scent.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21So, expert confirmation that none of these scents are the real thing.
0:40:21 > 0:40:26Roger feels online sites like theessencestore.com do untold harm.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30I think that it's very important to understand that my industry
0:40:30 > 0:40:33is a multi-billion dollar industry.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35It employs so many different people
0:40:35 > 0:40:39so I think that when you end up with a counterfeit product,
0:40:39 > 0:40:41the problem with it is that
0:40:41 > 0:40:44if it ends up giving my industry a bad name,
0:40:44 > 0:40:49then in fact, it damages the livelihoods of millions of people.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54But there is something you can do when shopping online.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58The Brand-i team keep a directory of legitimate online sellers.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03Jenny thinks that the fakers behind theessencestore.com put
0:41:03 > 0:41:06a lot of effort into making something that would fool
0:41:06 > 0:41:08thousands across the UK.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10Their products look very genuine on the site.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12The website looks very genuine.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14It's set up to look like a proper business.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18They have reviews on the right-hand side all of which are four-star.
0:41:18 > 0:41:19One even says,
0:41:19 > 0:41:23"I had to wait a long time for it but it was worth waiting for."
0:41:23 > 0:41:26"Nice products", is one review.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28So these won't be genuine reviews.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32And there's a reason the prices for these online fakes are only
0:41:32 > 0:41:34slightly lower than the high street.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38The prices of the products are not too far off the genuine prices,
0:41:38 > 0:41:41so someone will just be thinking they're getting a genuine bargain,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44rather than thinking they're buying something that's fake.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Brand-i and trading standards
0:41:46 > 0:41:49have tried to stop theessencestore.com operation,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52but the fakers behind it are not based in the UK.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56As soon as their website gets closed down at one address,
0:41:56 > 0:41:57it crops up somewhere else.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Customers are advised to take care.
0:42:00 > 0:42:06We list a number of brands which are highly counterfeited online.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09It means that if people use our shopping directory,
0:42:09 > 0:42:12they can find legitimate stockists of those brands.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Kelly has been conned out of £150,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18but has at least learned from the experience.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22I do feel really annoyed. I've been totally ripped off
0:42:22 > 0:42:26and I just hate to think how many people they've done this to
0:42:26 > 0:42:29and how much money they're making from this.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37That's all from Fake Britain today. Bye for now.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd