0:00:04 > 0:00:08Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28It's just an ordinary house.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30It could be anywhere in the country,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33but this is a house that's filled with fakes
0:00:33 > 0:00:36and you may not know it, but your home could be full of them too.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39During the series, we'll be investigating the criminals trying
0:00:39 > 0:00:44to get their hands on your cash by using forgeries, frauds and fakery.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48And I'll be showing you how you can avoid being taken for a ride.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Today on Fake Britain, we reveal the dangerous DIY teeth bleaching kits
0:00:54 > 0:00:57and their bogus safety claims.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00I was really shocked to receive the results that the product
0:01:00 > 0:01:03contained over 100 times the legal limit of hydrogen peroxide.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07We see how fraudsters siphon our charitable donations
0:01:07 > 0:01:08into their own pockets.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12That would equate to just over half a million pounds worth
0:01:12 > 0:01:14of second-hand clothes, so there's every incentive
0:01:14 > 0:01:17for fraudsters to get involved in this market.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21And we show how fakery is rife in the market for Second World War
0:01:21 > 0:01:22memorabilia.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24They thought they'd stumbled on the Holy Grail,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27that the history books were going to be rewritten,
0:01:27 > 0:01:28but in actual fact, it's a fake.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39A new industry has sprung up and is booming across the UK
0:01:39 > 0:01:41but you won't find it on any industrial estate,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45high street or even listed on the stock exchange.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48I'm talking about the buying and selling of medicines,
0:01:48 > 0:01:49healthcare products
0:01:49 > 0:01:53and all the sorts of things you might find down your local chemists.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56These, for instance, as you might expect from the Fake Britain house,
0:01:56 > 0:01:58they're all fake.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02It's taking place in ordinary houses up and down the country.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Even the neighbours might not know it's going on.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08But maybe they should, because it's illegal and dangerous.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15It's just before dawn somewhere in the North of England.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Outside a police station, sits Danny Lee Frost,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Head of Operations for the Medical Healthcare Regulatory Agency.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25His team is about to raid the house of a man suspected of selling
0:02:25 > 0:02:27fake health products.
0:02:27 > 0:02:33We've got intelligence that leads us to somebody who is selling via eBay.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36The intention would be to have him arrested,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40then they'll be a search of his premises looking for more products.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Police accompany Danny
0:02:42 > 0:02:45and his team on every raid, due to the dangers involved.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Although we do have a warrant issued by a magistrate,
0:02:48 > 0:02:53which does permit forced entry if necessary,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55if there's any type of resistance or any breach of the peace,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58that's why the police will be there to prevent that.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03The signal is given and the operation swings into action.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11As soon as the team arrives, they make quickly to the suspect's door.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Open the door, please.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20We are officers from the Department of Health.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22We have a warrant under the Medicine Regulation
0:03:22 > 0:03:26- to search this property.- OK.- OK? Thank you.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Police officers, together with agents from the NHRA,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31enter the property.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Across Britain, behind suburban doors just like this,
0:03:36 > 0:03:42a huge new trade in dangerous fake drugs and devices is booming.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- Do you want to put your clothes on? - Yeah.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48While the man gets changed,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51officers discover a box of counterfeit razorblades.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Sold through online auction sites, these blades have previously been
0:03:55 > 0:03:59found to contain human hair, skin and bacteria.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04Horrifyingly, the low quality, blunt metal can also scar users for life.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17The man claims these are the only fake health products
0:04:17 > 0:04:19in the house, but that's not true.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Upstairs, more razorblades are found,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26together with a substantial stash of counterfeit Viagra.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31He's probably got 400 or 500 packs of medicines that we can pack up
0:04:31 > 0:04:32and take away.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Fake drugs have been found to contain amphetamines,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37brick dust, arsenic and even road paint
0:04:37 > 0:04:41and supplied without prescription, they can kill.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46The reality of a glossy website that shows a doctor with a white coat
0:04:46 > 0:04:50and a stethoscope, is not that it's coming from a pharmacy or a doctor.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54It's actually coming from a housing estate like where we are today.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57The man is handcuffed and the operation continues.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Anything that may contain evidence of selling illegal health
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- products is seized.- Are there any other computers in the house?
0:05:03 > 0:05:07The Internet makes it easy to sell fake and illegal goods.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11This man is even putting his own family at risk storing
0:05:11 > 0:05:14drugs and other products in the bedroom of his young child.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Once you go through the front door,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17you don't know what you're going to find.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19There's no indication from the website
0:05:19 > 0:05:22when we were looking earlier, that anything else was going on.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26We are at a private address. What goes on inside is private.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29You just don't know what you'll find when you go in.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Everything the team has found is taken away as evidence.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35The day has only just begun but it's a bad start for this man.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38He's led away to the police van and then to the cells.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41He'll be questioned later in the day.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47But it's been a successful morning for Danny and the team.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52The trade in fake health products is a multi-billion pound industry.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54The NHRA's mission is to remove these items
0:05:54 > 0:05:56from the streets of Britain.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58We'll be taking this back to London
0:05:58 > 0:06:02and we'll be sending a sample off to the laboratory.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Illegally selling prescription drugs can be more profitable than
0:06:05 > 0:06:08dealing heroin, so for criminals across Britain,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11there's a huge incentive to get a piece of the action.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14This bag alone is worth over £10,000.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18The man is later cautioned and the counterfeit drugs
0:06:18 > 0:06:20and other products are destroyed.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31I suppose we all like to look in the mirror
0:06:31 > 0:06:35and see a Hollywood grin gleaming straight back at us.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38But the reality is, getting your teeth whitened professionally,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40can cost a small fortune.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44That is where home teeth whitening kits can come in.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Unfortunately, they leave you open to the fakers
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and the smile they leave you with, might not last that long.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Teeth whitening is big business.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Most dentists now offer a teeth whitening service
0:06:59 > 0:07:02and dedicated teeth whitening companies have sprung up across
0:07:02 > 0:07:06the country committed to giving Britain is slightly pearlier whites.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10First, patient's teeth are examined, then a mould taken,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13specially fitted mouth guards are then created.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Into these moulds, the dentist puts a gel containing hydrogen peroxide,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20a chemical that works to whiten the teeth.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22After a series of treatments,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25patients can have dramatically whiter teeth.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28However, alongside the growth in professional services, sites
0:07:28 > 0:07:32have appeared online offering cheap, do-it-yourself bleaching kits.
0:07:34 > 0:07:39Whilst treatments run by qualified dentists can cost £500,
0:07:39 > 0:07:44website, Smile-Brighter Marketing offered kits from as little as 5.99.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48But, claim to give you the perfect smile.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50Essex Trading Standards officer, Sarah Eykelbosch,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53decided to investigate and made a test purchase.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58The kit consisted of syringes containing bleaching chemicals
0:07:58 > 0:07:59and a mouth guard.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Users could self administer at home.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04It seemed simple.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08You fill the tray up with the product and then put it into your mouth
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and bite down on it and over a period of time,
0:08:11 > 0:08:16the chemicals that are in the product would actively whiten your teeth.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18It also seemed safe.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22The teeth whitening kit claimed to abide by international law.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Both the website and the product itself were marked with the claim
0:08:26 > 0:08:28that the product had been EU approved,
0:08:28 > 0:08:29so it was all over the website.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33He was creating the impression that the product was somehow safe
0:08:33 > 0:08:34and legal.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39But teeth whitening products are governed by strict
0:08:39 > 0:08:43safety guidelines under cosmetic regulations.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Sarah wanted to make sure the claims on the product were real
0:08:46 > 0:08:48and that it fell within legal limits.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55So, samples were sent to Kent Scientific Services.
0:08:55 > 0:09:01Now EU law dictates that only 0.1% of the chemical, hydrogen peroxide,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04is allowed in DIY teeth whitening products.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Paulette Smith carried out an experiment to test
0:09:07 > 0:09:09the level of the chemical in the kits.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14She adds various other chemicals to change
0:09:14 > 0:09:17the gel into a form that she can then analyse.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21The amount of this liquid it takes to turn this solution colourless,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24will tell us how much hydrogen peroxide was in the original
0:09:24 > 0:09:25teeth whitening gel.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36After some quick follow-up calculations, the results are in.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39From the analysis we've just carried out, we've calculated
0:09:39 > 0:09:43that there's 10.3% hydrogen peroxide in the teeth whitening gel.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50And that's a whopping 103 times the legal limit.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54It means the product's claims about being EU tested must be fake.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59Remember, under EU law, it can only be 0.1%.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02To find a level of hydrogen peroxide in something that you put
0:10:02 > 0:10:07in your mouth that was so far over the legal limit, is quite shocking.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11It also means the product is dangerous.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Using this type of tooth whitening product can lead to
0:10:14 > 0:10:18sensitivity of the teeth and gums, damage to the tooth enamel
0:10:18 > 0:10:19and even burns in the mouth.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24So, what does the industry make of this product?
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Dr Wyman Chang is teeth whitener to the stars.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I'm shocked that such a high concentration can be
0:10:30 > 0:10:32sold over the Internet in the UK.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Hydrogen peroxide is a toxic chemical
0:10:36 > 0:10:39if it's not used properly or formulated properly.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42It means it can cause damage to your soft tissues
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and also can cause damage to the enamel.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Back at Essex Trading Standards, Sarah Eykelbosch was astounded
0:10:49 > 0:10:53by the test results for Smile-Brighter Marketing's products.
0:10:53 > 0:10:58I was really shocked to receive the results and really, in my mind,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02confirmed the fact that this was an important product safety issue
0:11:02 > 0:11:04and we really did need to address it.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Sarah mobilised her team
0:11:06 > 0:11:09and raided the registered address of the business.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13The man behind it was Mr Barrington Armstrong-Thorpe.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16He directed us to a shed in the rear garden
0:11:16 > 0:11:20and it was quite a large shed, absolutely full of product.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24Piles of syringes containing the product and boxes plastered
0:11:24 > 0:11:28with the fake safety claims, were found and confiscated.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32Thorpe was cautioned, but within weeks, he was back at it.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Because we'd done the first test purchase,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37we were on his e-mail list so he then e-mailed out to
0:11:37 > 0:11:41everybody saying, I have had to change my website.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Now trading as Brighter-Smile, Armstrong-Thorpe was still
0:11:44 > 0:11:47making fake claims that the product was EU approved.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51The syringes, now marked with Brighter-Smile, were tested again
0:11:51 > 0:11:52and again, they failed.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Sarah raided Armstrong-Thorpe for a second time.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58There were syringes strewn across the coffee table,
0:11:58 > 0:12:03Jiffy bags in a box waiting to be stuffed, posted labels,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06extracts from orders that were on the table.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09One of the bedrooms was being used as a study.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13The study was absolutely chock-a-block with syringes.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Armstrong-Thorpe claimed the products all belonged to
0:12:16 > 0:12:18a friend of his and he was just storing them as a favour.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Unfortunately for him,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23it was an obvious clue that this just wasn't true.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26The telephone number that was marked on the syringes was a mobile
0:12:26 > 0:12:29telephone number and when we came into his property that morning,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31we had rung that number and asked him where his phone was.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34He pointed to the telephone that was ringing.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36In reality,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40the faker had re-invested heavily in the dangerous product.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44During the raid on his property for a second time,
0:12:44 > 0:12:50we seized over 3,700 syringes with a retail value of over £21,000.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Amazingly, within days, Armstrong-Thorpe had put up a third
0:12:55 > 0:13:00website, Smile Brighter Now, another raid followed.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Over three operations, Sarah seized colossal quantities
0:13:03 > 0:13:07of the dangerous teeth bleacher from the Essex fraudster.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11This is just a small selection of product from the large quantity
0:13:11 > 0:13:14that we seized across the three warrants
0:13:14 > 0:13:16that we undertook at Mr Thorpe's properties.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20We've got a box of syringes here
0:13:20 > 0:13:23but this is just one of five that we actually seized on the day.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28No longer smiling brightly, Armstrong-Thorpe was jailed at
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Chelmsford Crown Court for 16 months for selling products with
0:13:31 > 0:13:35fake safety claims and for repeatedly breaching
0:13:35 > 0:13:38the Cosmetic Product Regulations Act 2008.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41After a three-year investigation,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45Sarah Eykelbosch was delighted with the results.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48He said, during interview, that he thought that Trading Standards
0:13:48 > 0:13:52were toothless tigers and that if he ignored us, we would simply go away.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56He realised now, that that was not the case.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08Charities in the UK make life better for millions of people
0:14:08 > 0:14:11every year, but they need our help to do it.
0:14:11 > 0:14:12And one of the ways we can help them
0:14:12 > 0:14:16raise funds is by taking a bag like this, filling it full
0:14:16 > 0:14:20of unwanted clothes and then leaving it on the doorstep for collection.
0:14:20 > 0:14:26But it turns out that even charities can fall prey to the fakers.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29And the sums of money that are involved are staggering.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Fake Britain has shown previously how figures are exploiting
0:14:33 > 0:14:37the charity sector, sending out fake leaflets for real charities
0:14:37 > 0:14:41and stealing donations of clothes to then sell on for a profit.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44We've been losing about 50 tonnes a week to these bogus collectors
0:14:44 > 0:14:45and these thieves.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50But we can reveal that this charity fakery has now reached
0:14:50 > 0:14:52epic proportions.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54Customs officials at the Port of Dover have
0:14:54 > 0:14:59seized 80,000 counterfeit collection bags being shipped across the border
0:14:59 > 0:15:01into the UK, in just one vehicle.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07Mark Rolfe is head of East Kent's Trading Standards.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11He's come here to his team storage facility to examine
0:15:11 > 0:15:12the shocking haul.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15This is one of our secure stores, it's where we keep
0:15:15 > 0:15:19evidence of the various cases that we are working on at the moment.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22You will see around here we've got fake DVDs, fake clothing,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26fake alcohol, but this is our biggest seizure of recent weeks,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29which is fake charity collection bags.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34It's the biggest seizure of fake charity bags ever recorded.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Cancer Relief UK is a real organisation
0:15:38 > 0:15:42but these bags are 100%-counterfeit.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44We spoke to the charity and the charity told us that they haven't
0:15:44 > 0:15:47done door-to-door collections for a couple of years now
0:15:47 > 0:15:50and on that basis, we knew there was something wrong.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53They're, we are told, a straight copy of a bag
0:15:53 > 0:15:55that the charity used to use.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01The fakers have copied every detail of the genuine bags
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and printed the fakes in tens of thousands.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06Had they got through the port, the bags would then have been
0:16:06 > 0:16:09posted through people's letterboxes here in the UK.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13The shipment came from Eastern Europe.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Surprisingly, the fraud would have netted the fakers
0:16:16 > 0:16:18an absolute fortune.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21Our current intelligence suggests that second-hand clothes
0:16:21 > 0:16:24fetch somewhere in the order of £700 a tonne.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Based on the 80,000 bags we've got here, I would estimate
0:16:28 > 0:16:31that you can get about 10 kilograms of clothes into one of these bags.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33When you do the maths, that's about £560,000,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36just over half a million pounds worth of fraud.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39There's every incentive for fraudsters to get involved
0:16:39 > 0:16:40in this market.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45That's a massive return for the criminals behind the fraud.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47The fakers had also carefully planned
0:16:47 > 0:16:51the collections of their bogus bags.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54All of the boxes between them cover Monday to Friday,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56so our fraudsters have got it well set up
0:16:56 > 0:16:59so they can go round five days a week, collecting free clothes
0:16:59 > 0:17:04to sell and to keep the money away from the charities that deserve it.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Mark is appalled by the effect this can have on the charities.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11It's totally deceitful and very distasteful
0:17:11 > 0:17:12and the victim here, obviously,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16is the legitimate charity that people thought they were given to.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22Steve Cooper is the director of the genuine charity, Cancer Relief UK.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26The UK Border Agency, at seven in the morning rang me
0:17:26 > 0:17:30to inform me that they'd stopped a vehicle at Dover docks.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32We were just completely flabbergasted.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36We were dumbfounded that someone could do that to a charity.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40We do so much good work to raise the profile of the charity
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and this sort of thing can only do harm.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46When we tell Steve the fraud could have made the criminals
0:17:46 > 0:17:48half a million quid, he's appalled.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52We would be able to do a lot of good with that money,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56help people run appeals for treatment that may be needed abroad.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Nearer home, we give out cash grants.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03The charity has now introduced a new bag system, changed the design
0:18:03 > 0:18:07of their collections sacks and all their collectors wear ID badges.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11This is the only legal bag for Cancer Relief UK.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15If you get a bag any other than this, it is illegal,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18so it can be reported to either Trading Standards or the police.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29Second World War memorabilia can be tremendously collectable
0:18:29 > 0:18:33and highly valuable, particularly if it involves major battles
0:18:33 > 0:18:35and the heroes that fought in them.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39Take this - this is a Distinguished Flying Cross, or DFC,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43and look, it's from the Battle of Britain.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46And this is the letter of condolence to the family
0:18:46 > 0:18:49of the Airman that won these awards.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55Altogether, these should be worth around £3,000.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I say "should" because they're fakes.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00It appears that the fakers
0:19:00 > 0:19:03have been making a bit of history of their own.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06There is a fascination with the battles fought in the skies
0:19:06 > 0:19:08during World War II.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11They were key to the Allies' success and a source of national pride
0:19:11 > 0:19:14but, sickeningly, the market for artefacts
0:19:14 > 0:19:16has become a target for fakers.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Graham Adlam is a collector and dealer
0:19:20 > 0:19:24of Second World War memorabilia and he specialises in aircraft.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28He collects everything from fuel gauges to replica planes.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Owning a piece that was around at the time
0:19:33 > 0:19:38sort of takes you back in history, gives you something palpable
0:19:38 > 0:19:41that you can own and that you can look at.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Rare items can be sold for thousands of pounds,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47so when Graham spotted a highly-prized item -
0:19:47 > 0:19:51a joystick of a German fighter from the later part of the Second World War -
0:19:51 > 0:19:54he jumped at the chance to buy it.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57I first spotted the joystick on an auction site on the Internet.
0:19:57 > 0:20:03I was quite excited about it, because it was from a Messerschmitt 163.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06There was, I think, less than 200 made.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Graham bid on the item, and won.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11I paid just over £1,500 for it,
0:20:11 > 0:20:16which, for something as rare as that, I thought was a good price.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20The piece arrived and Graham was delighted with his rare find.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24When I unwrapped it, it looked excellent to me.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27It seemed a very good piece, so I was quite happy with it.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32But when Graham posted a picture of the item online
0:20:32 > 0:20:35he was immediately contacted by a military expert
0:20:35 > 0:20:39stating the item was a fake and pointing out the reasons why.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43The most obvious thing immediately is the red tinge
0:20:43 > 0:20:47which is showing under the paint, which is red primer.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51German grips never had red primer, they were anodised.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54These letters, they were painted on by hand, that's quite correct,
0:20:54 > 0:21:01but these letters do not correspond to the Me163.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05They're a mish-mash taken from other aircraft.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09All these buttons are from a variety of different aircraft.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12The so-called rare item of World War II memorabilia
0:21:12 > 0:21:14is actually valueless.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Graham had lost £1,500.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20I'm only a one-man small-business,
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and losing that sort of money is a huge blow.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26It's absolutely devastating to find out that the thing
0:21:26 > 0:21:29was a complete fake and totally worthless.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35But the trade in fake Second World War memorabilia doesn't stop there.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39During the Battle of Britain, certain squadrons and pilots
0:21:39 > 0:21:41became known for their bravery,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45and their personal effects are now bought and sold for vast sums.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51Ian Wilson's a collector specialising in items from 609 Squadron.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57I initially bought this item here on eBay.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01I paid a reasonable amount of money for it, in excess of £400.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05The silver cigarette case had supposedly been owned
0:22:05 > 0:22:10by fighter pilot ace Eugene Tobin and hand engraved with his name.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Ian was initially happy with it, until he compared it
0:22:13 > 0:22:16with another cigarette case he'd bought from the same source -
0:22:16 > 0:22:19allegedly a First World War piece
0:22:19 > 0:22:22engraved with the name of Lieutenant Cox.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Looking at both items together, Ian realised the engravings
0:22:26 > 0:22:30seemed too regular to be done by hand, and suspected foul play.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34It looks to me as though these have been computer engraved.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35I know that's possible.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39The engraving is too clean, it's too accurate,
0:22:39 > 0:22:40the engraving's shallow -
0:22:40 > 0:22:45I'm more or less convinced these haven't been engraved at the time.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Ian thinks the pieces are from the period, but the names
0:22:50 > 0:22:54of pilots Tobin and Cox have been engraved more recently by fakers,
0:22:54 > 0:22:58thereby transforming the cases into valuable artefacts.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01It's a common trick fraudsters are known to employ
0:23:01 > 0:23:03to increase the value of the item.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Really, when it comes to any item of militaria,
0:23:08 > 0:23:14if you put a name on an item, it automatically boosts the value of it.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18This is a Battle of Britain period flying helmet.
0:23:18 > 0:23:23It's actually dated 1940, and that's probably worth around about £600.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27You put a Battle of Britain ace name on that
0:23:27 > 0:23:30and you could add a zero to it.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34To test his theory, Ian's decided to take the two pieces along
0:23:34 > 0:23:37to master engraver David Melvin in Newcastle.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40He'll be looking to see whether the two items are engraved
0:23:40 > 0:23:43by hand or by machine.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46This is an example of machine engraving,
0:23:46 > 0:23:51which has been done on a computer, a very modern computer.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54The height of the letters is very regular,
0:23:54 > 0:23:55the spacing is very regular.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58This piece is a hand engraved brass plate.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00It has a brightness of cut.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06Ian arrives, and it's time to examine the suspect pieces.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08Can I simply ask your thoughts on that?
0:24:09 > 0:24:15That looks like a straightforward machine engraved, could be computer.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17- Really?- Fairly modern.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19- Typical of today's kind of work. - Is it? Right.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23- Certainly not hand engraved, definitely not.- Not 1940?
0:24:23 > 0:24:25- No, definitely not.- OK.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30It's too regular, it's very shallow, it's extremely even.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34You can tell by this pattern around the cigarette case itself, it's genuine.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Just this bit in here isn't the engraving.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42Next, Ian shows David the item supposedly from the First World War.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46I would say that's definitely modern.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50There's no way that could be 1916, simply by the type of cut.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Again, it's not hand engraved.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58David doesn't think the piece is even from the period.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02I've just spotted a maker's mark which is typical
0:25:02 > 0:25:06of what they were making right up until certainly the 1960s,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- and it's called Harman Brothers. - Right.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11It's got "Har Bros" on there,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13so I think even the piece is outside 1916.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18It's official - both items of war memorabilia are fakes.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22The engraved names have been added later to boost their value
0:25:22 > 0:25:26and pass them off as rare artefacts from the world wars.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29In reality, the pieces are worth just a few pounds.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33Obviously disappointed, but not surprised.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37I think David's basically confirmed my thoughts,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40and just added a lot more meat to the bone.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Andy Saunders is one of the world's top aviation history experts,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46specialising in the Battle of Britain.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50He's come here to the RAF Museum at Hendon to compare some
0:25:50 > 0:25:53legitimate documents with some astonishing fakes.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56This is a log book that every pilot in the RAF
0:25:56 > 0:25:59has to fill in for every flight that he carries out.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02And they're very collectible and desirable items,
0:26:02 > 0:26:06particularly for pilots who flew in the Battle of Britain.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09But once you start to look at this a little more carefully,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11then it all begins to fall apart.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15The first thing that we notice on the front here is the pilot's name.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18We've got E Campbell, Pilot Officer.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Now, a quick check of the RAF list for 1940,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25there is no Pilot Officer, E Campbell.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27The book is incredibly detailed,
0:26:27 > 0:26:32but on closer inspection it's littered with factual inaccuracies.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35And we've got here Tiger Moth K6146.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Well, in actual fact, K61146 was not a Tiger Moth,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42it was an aircraft called Gloster Gladiator.
0:26:42 > 0:26:43He talks about the engine here
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and he talks about it being the starboard engine.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Well, a Tiger Moth was a single engine bi-plane.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52The log book is a complete fake.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Every single entry in it has been entered by a forger,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59including elaborately made stamps and fake signatures.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02But why has the faker gone to all this trouble?
0:27:02 > 0:27:07So now we've got him joining 601 Squadron in June, 1940.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Now, 601 Squadron was an extremely famous squadron
0:27:09 > 0:27:11during the Battle of Britain.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14And this log book was sold on the basis that the pilot's name
0:27:14 > 0:27:17doesn't appear on the roll of Battle of Britain pilots.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19He's clearly been missed off.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Here is an unknown pilot from the Battle of Britain.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25The forger's created what looks like the log book
0:27:25 > 0:27:29of a lost fighter ace from one of the most famous battles of all time.
0:27:29 > 0:27:30None of these patrols
0:27:30 > 0:27:34and battles that he talks about actually took place.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37So complete and utter fantasy.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40If this book was real, it would be worth a fortune.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44And that's why the forger's gone to such lengths to create it.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47If this pilot was an unknown pilot from the Battle of Britain,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49someone who'd been left off the Battle of Britain monument,
0:27:49 > 0:27:53then, yes, this would be an exceptionally valuable document,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56both historically and financially.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59The unfortunate person who bought this at a militaria fair
0:27:59 > 0:28:02thought they'd stumbled on the Holy Grail,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04that the history books were going to be rewritten,
0:28:04 > 0:28:06a new pilot would be added
0:28:06 > 0:28:08to the list of known Battle of Britain pilots.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10But, in actual fact, it's a fake.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12What can you say?
0:28:12 > 0:28:14These things are out there, you know.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18I consider myself to be an intelligent collector and trader
0:28:18 > 0:28:20but I was done by them.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27That's all from Fake Britain. Bye-bye.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd