0:00:02 > 0:00:05Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Police! SHOUTING
0:00:20 > 0:00:24- Get down! Get down!- Put your hands behind your back, now!
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Here at the Fake Britain house, things might look familiar,
0:00:28 > 0:00:32but don't be taken in. Because this is a house that's filled with fakes.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36In this series I'll be revealing the counterfeits, copies and cons
0:00:36 > 0:00:40that are flooding the market, fooling the public,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44making money for the criminals and maybe even putting you in danger.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47We'll be investigating those fraudsters
0:00:47 > 0:00:50who are cashing in by selling us something that isn't real.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54And we'll be showing you how to avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Today on Fake Britain:
0:00:58 > 0:01:00The fake batteries that could give you more power
0:01:00 > 0:01:02than you bargained for...
0:01:02 > 0:01:04The thought of that occurring on an aircraft
0:01:04 > 0:01:06with maybe 400 passengers is horrific.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10..the fake cosmetics keeping Trading Standards on their toes
0:01:10 > 0:01:13I've been doing this job for 30 years,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16and I've never seen this amount of fake cosmetics.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19..and courier fraud. On the front line with the real police officers
0:01:19 > 0:01:21cracking down on the fake ones.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Hundreds of thousands of pounds of valuables are being handed over
0:01:25 > 0:01:27to these fake police officers and fake couriers.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36We live our lives surrounded by technology that we take with us
0:01:36 > 0:01:41wherever we go. Phones, laptops and cameras, just for starters.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43And they all need portable power.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46These are lithium batteries,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49and increasingly they're the type you'll find in all these devices.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52They're packed full of power, usually rechargeable,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54and they're not cheap.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56But at as you might expect, at the Fake Britain house,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59none of these batteries is the real thing.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03And as we're about to show you, the consequences of having a fake
0:02:03 > 0:02:07lithium battery inside your device could be very serious indeed.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12The chances are, you're probably carrying one or more lithium
0:02:12 > 0:02:16batteries with you wherever you go, and you'll have more at home.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Every year over three billion lithium batteries are transported
0:02:19 > 0:02:23worldwide, and they're big business for an electronics giants
0:02:23 > 0:02:24like Canon and Samsung.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30The fakers know that. They're cashing in on our insatiable desire
0:02:30 > 0:02:31for more portable power.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37It's early morning in the north of England.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40The scam busters' north-west team, led by officer Wally Din,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43are on the trail of a suspect thought to be selling vast
0:02:43 > 0:02:47quantities of fake lithium batteries.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50We are hoping to find evidence of the sale of counterfeit
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Canon camera batteries.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56And when it comes to these batteries,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Wally's not just worried about trademark infringement.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03The problem with the fake batteries is that they could potentially
0:03:03 > 0:03:07overheat and go on fire, so they could cause damage to property,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11to somebody's expensive camera, or, in fact, they could cause injury.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18The counterfeit and potentially dangerous batteries
0:03:18 > 0:03:21need to be taken out of circulation.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23The officers arrive at the suspect's address
0:03:23 > 0:03:25and quickly get inside.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Hi, we've got a warrant to search the address.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30The search begins, and it doesn't take long
0:03:30 > 0:03:33for the officers to find what they're looking for.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35We've got here what appear to be several boxes
0:03:35 > 0:03:39of goods that we're looking for, counterfeit batteries.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42- Your phone is being seized as part of this operation.- Mm-hm.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44As will your laptop be.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47The suspect is arrested and led away.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54He'll be taken to the police station for further questioning.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Wally's pleased with what they've discovered.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00We've found six large boxes of what appear to be fake batteries
0:04:00 > 0:04:02of the type we're searching for.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06With the evidence secured, it's time for Wally to take a closer look.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09The retail price of these batteries is about £60 each,
0:04:09 > 0:04:11there's two in each.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13There are thousands of batteries here,
0:04:13 > 0:04:15so substantial monetary value to it all.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18The batteries are convincing counterfeits,
0:04:18 > 0:04:19even down to the fake hologram.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21But in a situation like this,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24how can anyone tell the fake from the real thing?
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Fortunately, Wally's got some help from a gadget
0:04:26 > 0:04:28that Cannon calls the handy viewer.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32If you look at the hologram under the handy viewer, you can see
0:04:32 > 0:04:34that it shows gold on both sides,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36indicating that it's a fake one.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40On a genuine one, it shows black on one side
0:04:40 > 0:04:42and then gold on the other one.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45And that indicates that that is a genuine item.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47But Canon isn't the only major electronics company
0:04:47 > 0:04:51to have their lithium batteries targeted, and Trading Standards
0:04:51 > 0:04:54are concerned the fakers are also cutting corners on safety.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58We have here what appears to be a fake Olympus lithium battery,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02so the same safety considerations apply, really.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05So we've got some Sony CyberShot batteries.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09They are fake. They may not be safe.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10It's a good day's work for the team.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Today they've protected unwitting British consumers
0:05:13 > 0:05:18from buying over 2,000 fake lithium batteries from online shops.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21Despite the crackdown,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24fake lithium batteries of all kinds are slipping through the net.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30They're being sold on the web and they're duping customers.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Roy Wilson from Cheshire has been a keen amateur photographer
0:05:35 > 0:05:37for several years.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41When he realised that he needed a spare battery for his kit,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44he turned to the internet to find a good deal.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46It was £50.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50If it had been £10 for a Canon battery, well, I'd be a fool.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53I would know you can't get a genuine battery for £10.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58But £50, to me, was a reasonable and a fair price.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03When the delivery came, something wasn't quite right.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06We showed Roy a fake Canon lithium camera battery,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08given to us by Trading Standards,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10that was identical to the one he bought,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12even down to the packaging.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16Everything feels cheap and nasty.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19So, take the battery out.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25And it just feels wrong.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Roy had heard stories about people unwittingly buying fake batteries
0:06:29 > 0:06:31from online stores.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35He immediately contacted the website where he'd bought the battery.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Not long after, he received a phone call.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Trading Standards tell me, "Could we come and get a statement from you?"
0:06:43 > 0:06:47And now I'm thinking, although I can't officially know, I think
0:06:47 > 0:06:52that's giving me the red light that, yes, it was a counterfeit battery.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56I was annoyed, I was furious. I felt ripped off.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Because I'd spent £50.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02As I said, if I'd have spent £5, £10, that's my own stupid fault.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03I paid good money.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09But it wasn't just being ripped off that worried Roy.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12He'd done some research into fake lithium batteries,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16and had discovered they can wreak havoc with your kit.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Not only are they ripping you off with money,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22they can melt your equipment. They can cause serious damage.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Later, we find out how dangerous fake lithium batteries can be.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31Someone could unknowingly buy a fake product, bring it
0:07:31 > 0:07:35into their home and be using it, and this sort of reaction could happen.
0:07:40 > 0:07:45Dior, Mac - two of the top brands of cosmetics out there.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48So you might expect these gift sets to be expensive.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Take a look at the price tag, £600.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54But if you paid anything like that for these,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56you'd waste your money, cos they're all fake.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59The criminals are now upping their game
0:07:59 > 0:08:02by moving into this high-end gift set market.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05But they're not only a cosmetic con.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08These fakes could also be dangerous.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Here on Fake Britain, we have seen how private investigators
0:08:14 > 0:08:16have been cracking down on fake cosmetics.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21And how innocent online shopper Laura Barry was injured
0:08:21 > 0:08:25by the fake foundation she unwittingly put on her skin.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29It was really sore, my eyes were watering, my skin went all blotchy
0:08:29 > 0:08:34and red and it was going all over my cheeks, down my jaw line here.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40But the problem of fake cosmetics hasn't gone away.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Today Mark Rolfe from Kent Trading Standards
0:08:43 > 0:08:47is making his way to a secret lock-up somewhere in the UK.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51We just had a phone call from our colleagues in the UK Border Force
0:08:51 > 0:08:55who tell us they've detained a shipment of what they believe to be
0:08:55 > 0:09:00counterfeit cosmetics, so make-up and lipstick and that kind of stuff.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05But this is no lock-up. This is a warehouse.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Mark can't quite believe the sheer scale of what's in front of him.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15I've been doing this job just over 30 years and I've never seen
0:09:15 > 0:09:20this amount of fake cosmetics in the same place at the same time.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23This is a really significant haul.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Somewhere between £10 million and £12 million.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31I am actually generally wanting to get my way into some of these
0:09:31 > 0:09:34to see what's here. You never lose the thrill.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40It's time for Mark to take a closer look at exactly what's inside.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43That's a Christian Dior.
0:09:44 > 0:09:50The first thing is, this outer wrapper is really poor quality.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51These are premium brands
0:09:51 > 0:09:54so anything to do with this brand would be a good quality.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58The wrapper would be good quality, the bag would be good quality,
0:09:58 > 0:09:59and it isn't.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04But what made me smile is that this has a price on it of £600...
0:10:04 > 0:10:08..which is just unbelievable, really.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Mark's spotted more tell-tale signs
0:10:11 > 0:10:14that these high-end cosmetics are in fact fake.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18This is another set, supposedly with a retail value of £450.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21But it appears to have a spelling mistake on the box.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24A classic example of a counterfeit product.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26They've misspelled the word curls.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Instead of 'curl', it's written 'cun'.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Border Force officer Andy Whybrow led the team
0:10:34 > 0:10:36that intercepted this huge shipment.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39It was his keen eyed officers who realised
0:10:39 > 0:10:41that this make-up wasn't quite right.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Some of the mascaras
0:10:43 > 0:10:47and eyeshadows inside the boxes had spelling mistakes,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50small mistakes like, 'Made in Farance'
0:10:50 > 0:10:51rather than 'Made in France'.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54'Made in Camada' rather than Canada.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55We didn't expect that,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58a spelling mistake to be on a high quality product.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02With more digging, Mark uncovers four high end cosmetics brands -
0:11:02 > 0:11:07Mac, Chanel, Christian Dior and Bobbi Brown.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10It's the first time Fake Britain has seen this volume
0:11:10 > 0:11:12of fake make-up under one roof.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15And the first time we've seen fakers turning their hands
0:11:15 > 0:11:17to high end gift sets,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20each of which contains an array of fake cosmetics.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25But it's what could be inside them that worries both Mark and Andy.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30What we've got here is a powder blusher mixture with its mirror.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32What worries us about this is,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35this is designed to be applied straight to the skin.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38The people who make these fake products really don't care what they put in them,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41so we've no idea if this is going to cause a skin reaction, blistering.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43It can have a really nasty effect on people
0:11:43 > 0:11:45if it's got dangerous chemicals in it.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47But there are two items in these fake gift sets
0:11:47 > 0:11:50that are giving Mark particular cause for concern.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53First up, the fake mascara.
0:11:53 > 0:11:59Some fake mascara products contain paint stripper. I have no idea why.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02It's a product clearly that shouldn't be in a gift set of this kind,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04a cosmetic that you will put on your skin
0:12:04 > 0:12:06and around your eyes in particular.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09These products, there is no quality control.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11They're just put together cheaply and quickly,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14using whatever chemicals come to hand and who knows what danger
0:12:14 > 0:12:16they pose to people who would apply them to their skin.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21Next under the spotlight is a red lipstick that Mark's uncovered.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23More sham than glam,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26it could leave you with red lips for all the wrong reasons.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Fake lipsticks, particularly red lipsticks,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31to manufacture them as cheaply
0:12:31 > 0:12:33as these people need to make the fake products,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35they use chemicals to make the red colour which are not safe
0:12:35 > 0:12:39and shouldn't be applied to your skin and shouldn't be around your mouth.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Obviously the people who make the real thing are very careful
0:12:42 > 0:12:45to make sure what they do is safe but the people who make these fakes
0:12:45 > 0:12:48really don't care what impact they have on the users.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Shockingly, when it comes to using fake cosmetics like these,
0:12:52 > 0:12:56you might consider yourself lucky to come away with just a rash.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59This kind of fakery is one of the most dangerous types
0:12:59 > 0:13:01that we come across.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Some of these products we know from experience contain chemicals
0:13:04 > 0:13:06which are known to be carcinogenics.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09If you're using these fake products over a period of time,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12the very worst case scenario is that they could cause cancer.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16The investigation continues into just where
0:13:16 > 0:13:18this huge haul of fake cosmetics was destined.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Eventually, it will all be destroyed
0:13:22 > 0:13:25so it can never reach the homes of any unsuspecting customers.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37You get a phone call from the police or from your bank
0:13:37 > 0:13:41saying they think you've been targeted by a fraudster.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44You can bet you'll be taking that call very seriously. I would.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47You'll probably try to cooperate and do whatever you can
0:13:47 > 0:13:51to sort it out, to stop criminals getting their hands on your cash.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55But as many people have discovered, that worrying call is actually
0:13:55 > 0:13:58coming from fake police officers or fake bank staff.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02It's become known as the courier fraud and right across the country,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06criminals are getting away with millions of pounds of our money.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09So, do you really know who you're on the phone to?
0:14:11 > 0:14:15Peter Buckthorpe from Crawley in West Sussex was at home one day
0:14:15 > 0:14:17when he received a phone call out of the blue.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23A gentleman said that he was a police officer
0:14:23 > 0:14:29from the Hammersmith Division and that they'd arrested two people.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31They had found a book.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34My name appeared and my address.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37They said they were concerned, they were following it up,
0:14:37 > 0:14:39and they wanted to know initially,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42did I still have my credit cards with me.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46The police officer told Peter that he was at risk of credit card fraud.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49He gave him a crime reference number and said he would transfer him
0:14:49 > 0:14:52to the bank's fraud department.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54I was connected through after a delay
0:14:54 > 0:14:58to what was thought to be
0:14:58 > 0:15:00the NatWest fraud squad.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04So they took the number of my credit card
0:15:04 > 0:15:07and my PIN number through a telephone keypad.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09They then thanked me very much
0:15:09 > 0:15:12and said my cards were now cancelled at that point in time.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16Believing that he was now protected against fraud,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Peter was told there would be an investigation.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25But as part of the evidence,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29they would very much like my credit cards to present at court.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Peter had no qualms about handing them over to the police.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38The police officer helpfully arranged for a courier
0:15:38 > 0:15:39to collect the cards.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41The taxi duly arrived
0:15:41 > 0:15:45and the envelope was given to the taxi driver and he went off.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49But the friendly police officer on the other end of the phone
0:15:49 > 0:15:52was about to make a very strange request.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57I was suggested going down to the bank around try and draw £2,000.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03And that was the time that triggered suspicion in my mind.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07Courier fraudsters sometimes ask their targets to withdraw cash
0:16:07 > 0:16:12for safekeeping as they claim their bank accounts have been compromised.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Peter suspected that he was in the process of being conned.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18He asked the man on the landline to hold while secretly
0:16:18 > 0:16:20calling the police on his mobile.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I explained that I suddenly had a suspicion
0:16:26 > 0:16:29that I was in the middle of a scam...
0:16:30 > 0:16:33..and the person I was speaking to said,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36"I think you're absolutely right."
0:16:36 > 0:16:40But of course my current account, my credit cards were totally vulnerable.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Peter tried to stop the taxi before it dropped his cards off
0:16:44 > 0:16:47with the fake officials he'd been speaking to, but it was too late.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50The drop had been made.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54A fake police officer, a fake bank official...
0:16:56 > 0:17:01..another fake police officer had collectively taken,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04at that stage,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08£1,100 out of my bank account.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Peter gradually realised how an intricate web of fakery had led him
0:17:12 > 0:17:15to hand over his money to a courier
0:17:15 > 0:17:17who was controlled by the fraudsters.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21It is a very elaborate scam.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24There was quite a group of them playing their part as if it
0:17:24 > 0:17:29was scripted play and, quite frankly, an Oscar-winning performance.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Peter Buckthorpe is considered to be one of the luckier victims
0:17:36 > 0:17:41of courier fraud - he finally got his money back from the bank.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45But as we found out, other targets haven't fared so well.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Detective Inspector Danny Lawrence leads a task force that deals
0:17:49 > 0:17:53with courier fraud involving fake police officers
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and fake bank staff and the people who are left in their wake.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00One handed over £30,000 in cash having visited the bank
0:18:00 > 0:18:03on a number of occasions to retrieve that amount of cash.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07When it's not about cash and cards, it's about valuables.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10One 89-year-old victim in London lost a £100,000 painting
0:18:10 > 0:18:13handed over for safekeeping.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Coming up, we follow DI Lawrence and his team
0:18:16 > 0:18:20in a major crackdown on the courier fraudsters.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Police!
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Earlier, we followed Wally and his team as they seized a huge haul
0:18:33 > 0:18:36of fake lithium camera batteries...
0:18:36 > 0:18:38There are thousands of batteries here,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40so there's a substantial monetary value to it all.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44..and we saw how Roy Wilson lost out to the camera battery fakers.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48I was annoyed, I was furious and I felt ripped off.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52Fake Britain decided to investigate how easy it is to buy
0:18:52 > 0:18:56a fake lithium battery for a phone or laptop computer.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Acting on a tipoff from an insider,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03our researcher bought Samsung phone batteries from several phone shops
0:19:03 > 0:19:08across London and from several online sellers.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Samsung later confirmed that the batteries were counterfeit.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17We also ordered what our source told us was a fake laptop battery.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Armed with counterfeit batteries, we went to world-renowned test house
0:19:21 > 0:19:26BRE Global to find out more about the dangers of fakes.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Fire investigator Ciara Holland agreed to show us what happens
0:19:30 > 0:19:31when a fake develops a fault.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36We began by giving her the fake Canon camera battery.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38We are going to place this onto a hot plate
0:19:38 > 0:19:40and we're going to force it to overheat.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Ciara is simulating a fault in this fake camera battery.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49All lithium batteries become highly unstable
0:19:49 > 0:19:52when they heat up during a malfunction,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56but fakes are far more likely to short-circuit than the real deal.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Fake lithium batteries have issues with quality control
0:20:00 > 0:20:03and with the safety features that were put into them.
0:20:03 > 0:20:08Ciara will force the fake into a state known as thermal runaway.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12It's when the temperature inside a lithium battery rises
0:20:12 > 0:20:16to a critical point and as it hits that critical point,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18the battery starts to smoke.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33So why would a fake battery explode like this?
0:20:33 > 0:20:36It is more likely to happen with the fake battery due to
0:20:36 > 0:20:40the fact of the poor quality control,
0:20:40 > 0:20:44the lack of safety features that are within these devices.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Next up, it's the counterfeit Samsung phone battery
0:20:47 > 0:20:49bought by Fake Britain.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Less than two and a half minutes later, it fails dramatically.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Here we go.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04We have obviously forced this reaction today,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08but it is similar to the reaction that can occur when these
0:21:08 > 0:21:13fake batteries are within devices, either being charged or being in use.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Last but not least, it's time to test the fake laptop battery
0:21:19 > 0:21:21that we ordered from the internet.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35The internal failure causes a massive explosion.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43The shocking results have left Ciara concerned about the effects
0:21:43 > 0:21:46of this happening in somebody's home.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Whilst the fake batteries have been forced into a state of failure,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53they can heat up and explode without outside intervention.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Someone could unknowingly buy a fake product,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00bring it into their home and be using it
0:22:00 > 0:22:02and this sort of reaction could happen,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05creating what could be quite a serious fire.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11So fake lithium batteries could be dangerous in our homes.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13What could happen when they're in the air?
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Geoff Leach knows a thing or two about dangerous goods
0:22:18 > 0:22:19being carried in aeroplanes -
0:22:19 > 0:22:21he headed up the Dangerous Goods Office
0:22:21 > 0:22:24at the Civil Aviation Authority for over a decade.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30We showed Geoff the results of our tests on fake lithium batteries.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33Yeah, it's just...
0:22:34 > 0:22:36..horrendous.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38The thought of that occurring on an aircraft
0:22:38 > 0:22:41with maybe 400 passengers is horrific.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45A fake lithium battery blowing up on or near an aircraft
0:22:45 > 0:22:48isn't just a theoretical scare story.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51This laptop battery here was carried on a passenger aircraft
0:22:51 > 0:22:54from Hong Kong to London Heathrow Airport.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Shortly after landing at Heathrow, the packaging in which it was
0:22:57 > 0:23:00contained was in the mail sort facility and it caught fire.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04There were four-foot-high flames in the facility.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07A few hours before, this battery was in the hold of
0:23:07 > 0:23:11the passenger aircraft with maybe 350, 400 passengers on board.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16The fake batteries have the potential to cause a very
0:23:16 > 0:23:19serious fire as we've seen from these videos
0:23:19 > 0:23:22and really, really should be avoided.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Earlier, we saw how Peter Buckthorpe from West Sussex
0:23:32 > 0:23:35became a target of courier fraudsters,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39losing over £1,000 to fake police officers and fake bank staff.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43What was going through one's mind was my current account,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46my credit cards were totally vulnerable.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50The police are taking courier fraud extremely seriously.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52It's daybreak in North London.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55A major police operation is under way to arrest a gang
0:23:55 > 0:23:58of suspected courier fraudsters.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Detective Inspector Danny Lawrence aims to prevent any more
0:24:02 > 0:24:05innocent members of the public from being conned
0:24:05 > 0:24:07out of thousands of pounds.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12These are effectively fake police officers phoning innocent victims
0:24:12 > 0:24:16and gaining their trust and getting them to hand over their cash
0:24:16 > 0:24:18and their cards and their valuables.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22The courier fraudsters have been convincing people to hand over
0:24:22 > 0:24:24credit cards and PIN numbers.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Posing as police officers and bank staff,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31the fakers are making a killing.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33This runs into millions of pounds.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35It is organised crime on a significant scale.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38There's a number of teams we've dismantled and disrupted already
0:24:38 > 0:24:42and a number of teams that we'll continue to target.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Today, over 80 officers will be targeting multiple addresses
0:24:47 > 0:24:49across the country.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53The unit arriving at this address will need to secure
0:24:53 > 0:24:55the area as quickly as possible.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01The officers are trying to take the suspects by surprise.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Police!
0:25:04 > 0:25:06SHOUTING
0:25:09 > 0:25:13- Stay where you are! Move, move! - Police, hands where I can see them.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Anyone else upstairs?
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Get off! Get off!
0:25:19 > 0:25:21It's all right, it's all right.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Is anyone else in the room?
0:25:25 > 0:25:29It looks like it's been a wake-up call for this suspect.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31We've got a warrant to search the address, OK?
0:25:31 > 0:25:33I'm just going to take some details first
0:25:33 > 0:25:36and then we'll explain what's going on, OK?
0:25:36 > 0:25:39As the search gets under way at this address,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43another team of police officers is at a second premises nearby.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45I'm outside the door.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Quickly, otherwise it's going in.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49But whoever is inside doesn't seem to be in a hurry.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52You ain't got very long to show your face,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54otherwise it's going to get put in.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57Quick as you can. That's it, just open the door, then.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02- Morning, police. We've got a warrant. Hello, fella.- Hello.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05We've got a search warrant at this address and in a minute,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09one of the officers is going to tell you something you might not like.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12One of the suspected courier fraudsters is handcuffed
0:26:12 > 0:26:14and read his rights.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16You're under arrest for conspiracy to commit fraud.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19You don't have to say anything, but it might harm your defence
0:26:19 > 0:26:20if you don't listen when questioned
0:26:20 > 0:26:22something you later rely on in court.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Two of the suspects are arrested
0:26:24 > 0:26:28and taken into police custody for further questioning.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31It's time for the officers to begin a search for evidence
0:26:31 > 0:26:33that could link the men to courier fraud.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Anything they find is bagged, tagged and taken away for analysis,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41including this computer, which could contain vital information.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46The four suspected courier fraudsters arrested here
0:26:46 > 0:26:49all later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud
0:26:49 > 0:26:52by false representation.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56The investigation is ongoing, but it's just one of many in a fraud
0:26:56 > 0:26:59that has spread right across the country.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Courier fraud has become an epidemic.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04People are losing tens of thousands of pounds.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Hundreds of thousands of pounds of valuables are being handed over
0:27:08 > 0:27:11to these fake police officers and fake couriers for what
0:27:11 > 0:27:15they perceive to be safe keeping or assisting in an investigation.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19This CCTV footage shows the teenage courier fraudsters
0:27:19 > 0:27:21using one of their victims' credit cards.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25First they make a test purchase of £50 to make sure the card works.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30When it does, they embark on a spending spree, racking up
0:27:30 > 0:27:35a bill of £2,500 on designer clothing in just 20 minutes.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Six members of this gang were charged with conspiracy
0:27:38 > 0:27:42to commit fraud and sentenced to a total of four years
0:27:42 > 0:27:45and nine months for their crimes.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49DI Lawrence wants to get the word out to stop other
0:27:49 > 0:27:52members of the public from falling for courier fraud.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Should anyone call you and ask for your bank cards, to go
0:27:56 > 0:28:00to the bank to withdraw cash or ask for your PIN number over the phone,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03I'm 100% certain that they are likely to be fake police officers
0:28:03 > 0:28:05or fake banking officials.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08My message is if somebody does call you
0:28:08 > 0:28:11and ask you to do that, is to hang up the phone,
0:28:11 > 0:28:16use an alternative phone and contact 101 and phone the police.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.