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.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Get down! Get down! Get on the floor, now!
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Your hands behind your back, now!
0:00:24 > 0:00:26It's just an ordinary house.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28It could be anywhere in the country,
0:00:28 > 0:00:33but this is the Fake Britain house, and it's filled with fakes.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36You may not know it, but your home could be, too.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40In this series, we'll be investigating the criminals
0:00:40 > 0:00:44trying to get their hands on your cash by using fraud,
0:00:44 > 0:00:46forgeries, and fakery.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50And I'll be showing you how you can avoid being taken for a ride.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56Today, on Fake Britain, the crooks using fake cards to buy fuel,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58and then putting lives at risk.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Well, if that van was travelling on this road
0:01:01 > 0:01:04and you had a source of ignition, you would have
0:01:04 > 0:01:05a major chemical fire,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08and would probably bring this part of London to a halt.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12The fake references on sale online.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14It's actually quite shocking that somebody
0:01:14 > 0:01:16is able to falsify their career.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20And the dog with a nose for fake tobacco.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22That's what we're after.
0:01:22 > 0:01:23Yes, good boy!
0:01:31 > 0:01:36Here in the UK, thousands of companies use these - fuel cards.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Their employees use them to buy fuel at petrol stations
0:01:39 > 0:01:44and then the company that the card is registered to is billed directly.
0:01:44 > 0:01:45It's big business,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49with millions of pounds being spent on these cards every year.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53And, unsurprisingly, they're a target for the fakers.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55What's more of a surprise, though,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59is that it's you and your car that could lose out.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Previously on Fake Britain, we've seen criminals manufacturing
0:02:05 > 0:02:11fake credit cards, but evidence is now emerging of a new card scam,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15one targeting corporate fuel cards and putting innocent lives at risk.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24City of London Police were alerted to this disturbing new trend
0:02:24 > 0:02:28when a fuel card company contacted them to report unexplained
0:02:28 > 0:02:31and substantial spending on customer accounts.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Thousands of litres of fuel were being stolen every week.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Police quickly established that while the account numbers were genuine,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45the actual cards themselves were fake.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48John Unsworth is Head of Intelligence for
0:02:48 > 0:02:52the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau of the City of London Police.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55They were getting hold of people's actual numbers
0:02:55 > 0:02:58by doing shoulder surfing or by having people working
0:02:58 > 0:03:00in the garages that were actually double swiping
0:03:00 > 0:03:01and taking the details.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04And then it's simply a case of pressing them numbers
0:03:04 > 0:03:06onto the plastic cards and moving it from there.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11And a card number could be stolen
0:03:11 > 0:03:12and faked in minutes.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17There's instances of people paying correctly for their fuel
0:03:17 > 0:03:20and within minutes, their card being compromised because somebody's
0:03:20 > 0:03:23captured the numbers, e-mailed it -
0:03:23 > 0:03:26using their smartphones - to a colleague
0:03:26 > 0:03:28that's miles and miles away, they've printed it onto a card,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and then they've dished it out and gone out and used it.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Within the information the fuel card company had passed
0:03:35 > 0:03:38to City of London Police were a multitude of leads.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44We had the information that was saying where cards were being used,
0:03:44 > 0:03:46we looked at CCTV to see who the people were
0:03:46 > 0:03:49that were using them there, we're then able to look at
0:03:49 > 0:03:53vehicle number plates and actually trace it back from there.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59It was clear that this was organised crime being carried out
0:03:59 > 0:04:00on a grand scale.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03It turned out all of the vehicles were white vans,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05most of which were registered to hire companies.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10They're your run-of-the-mill Ford Transit type vehicle.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14What they looked for was a vehicle
0:04:14 > 0:04:17that had a sliding door that was next to
0:04:17 > 0:04:19the petrol filler, so that when they pulled up
0:04:19 > 0:04:22into a garage, they could slide open the door
0:04:22 > 0:04:23and not be seen filling up.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28But it was the huge quantities of fuel inside the vans
0:04:28 > 0:04:30that alarmed the authorities.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32What they had was lots of plastic containers,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35which they literally just used to fill up.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38So to anybody watching, it doesn't look suspicious,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41it looks like there's somebody stood next to the petrol pump
0:04:41 > 0:04:42filling up the petrol.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47It's a ticking time bomb. What you've got is a van full of fuel
0:04:47 > 0:04:50sloshing around in the back of it.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Now, there's a reason that fuel is transported in a regulated way.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57It's because it's hazardous, it's flammable, it's dangerous.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Being in the back of a transit van
0:04:59 > 0:05:00is not a safe way of transporting it.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05We asked Roger Bibbings,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12to assess the dangers inherent in transporting fuel this way.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Well, if that van was travelling on this road
0:05:15 > 0:05:16and there was an incident,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19and you only had a small loss of containment,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21and you had a source of ignition,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24you would have a major chemical fire.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28A major explosion. Far bigger than a car fire involving petrol...
0:05:28 > 0:05:30perhaps 10, 50 times bigger.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33A major chemical incident that would do massive damage
0:05:33 > 0:05:36to people roundabout and would probably bring
0:05:36 > 0:05:38this part of London to a halt.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42With a threat to public safety on this scale,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46the police needed to build their case quickly.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49They spent several weeks following suspects and gathering evidence.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Soon, they established that the gang was based in London,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56but would target filling stations outside the M25.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02The fuel-laden vans, nicknamed "Molotov motors",
0:06:02 > 0:06:06were clocking up thousands of miles every week.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Police suspected that the fuel being stolen
0:06:08 > 0:06:10was destined for the black market.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16It was time to take these fakers off the roads.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19With innocent customers
0:06:19 > 0:06:22unaware of what's happening,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25the undercover police officers allow the offender
0:06:25 > 0:06:27to pay with his fake fuel card.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32But as he leaves, he's grabbed and taken out of sight.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38A second police team then swoops, encircles and arrests his accomplice.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Fake Britain spoke to one former gang member who now regrets
0:06:44 > 0:06:47ever getting involved in criminal activity.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50For his protection, we've disguised his identity.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56We started by asking him where the gang would travel to
0:06:56 > 0:06:57in order to steal the fuel.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01We use all the motorways. We go all over the UK.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05One day, we go to Milton Keynes, the next day, Nottingham.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09We go to Swindon, Bristol, Coventry. We go everywhere.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12He told us about the industrial scale of the operation.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18On a normal day, we'd get around 1,500 litres of fuel.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21So imagine that there were five of us on the roads.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23That's nearly 7,500 litres.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29These vast quantities of fuel were transported back to a lockup garage
0:07:29 > 0:07:31in a residential estate in West London.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35The garage is now in new ownership, unconnected with the crime.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40We asked Roger Bibbings to look at one of the main locations
0:07:40 > 0:07:42where the fuel was stored.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45I think this is just incredible.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48I mean, that amount of fuel stored here in a garage,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50in a lockup underneath somebody's flat,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53so they don't even know it's there, the level of danger
0:07:53 > 0:07:57is absolutely incredible, and it's just amazing that the people
0:07:57 > 0:07:59who are handling this stuff don't recognise that.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02And police photos taken immediately after the raid
0:08:02 > 0:08:05reveal the conditions in which the fuel was kept.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09If you look here at the shot of this garage - absolute chaos.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14Tyres, equipment, everything thrown in on top of one another.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16The absolute opposite of safety.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20They even seem to be using some kind of pump for dispensing this stuff,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23which certainly isn't approved for flammable liquids.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28We also asked Roger about the risks
0:08:28 > 0:08:30the criminals were exposing themselves to.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34The guys who are driving these vans
0:08:34 > 0:08:37are really playing Russian roulette with their health.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40A little bit of petrol vapour, such as you and I might smell
0:08:40 > 0:08:43at the petrol station, that's really no consequence at all.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45But to drive for eight hours a day, for example,
0:08:45 > 0:08:49in a van like this with leaking petrol vapour, exposing yourself
0:08:49 > 0:08:51to high concentrations, you're going to get problems
0:08:51 > 0:08:55with your nervous system, headaches, liver damage even.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57And remember, petrol contains benzene,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59which is a cancer-causing agent,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01so you could end up with something like leukaemia.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05The former gang member we spoke to claims
0:09:05 > 0:09:10he started feeling ill as soon as he began working for the gang.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Every day, we smelt of fuel. Our shoes, our jackets.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15And when we had all the fuel in the van,
0:09:15 > 0:09:19we got really bad headaches almost every single day.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22If I eat something, I need to go to the toilet straightaway.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25I had bad heartburn, things weren't right with me internally.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30The gang behind the fake fuel card scam was selling
0:09:30 > 0:09:33the fuel on the black market.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36The fuel would be sold to minicab drivers
0:09:36 > 0:09:38or roadside recovery drivers.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43But incredibly, innocent motorists may also have unwittingly bought it.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45They have their own petrol stations
0:09:45 > 0:09:46and they're using this petrol
0:09:46 > 0:09:49to actually go and fill the tanks up at those stations
0:09:49 > 0:09:51and sell it to general members of the public.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55The fuel would be taken to petrol stations' employees.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57They would buy the fuel at a discount,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59maybe 90p or £1 a litre.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03So, motorists have been sold fuel
0:10:03 > 0:10:05stored in conditions like this.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09When fuel - whether it's diesel or petrol - is kept in warm,
0:10:09 > 0:10:15uncontrolled environments, such as this lockup, condensation is created.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19The fuel can start to turn cloudy and, in extreme cases,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21bacteria can start to breed.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26We asked Tony Sweetland, a chemist specialising in fuel analysis,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30what damage this condensation can do to a car engine.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Water in a diesel can reduce the power output of the engine
0:10:36 > 0:10:39or cause stuttering and things like that, simply because
0:10:39 > 0:10:42the injectors all get clogged with the water,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45so enough fuel isn't going into the engine.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49It can also cause problems with the injectors being clogged as well,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53if there's bacteria present within the fuel, as well.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57And longer term, it may lead to corrosion issues on the fuel system
0:10:57 > 0:11:01because the water will obviously start to corrode through
0:11:01 > 0:11:03the metal pipes within the engine.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07Many of the London-based
0:11:07 > 0:11:10gang of fuel fakers have now been convicted,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12but in the course of their investigation,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16the police have become aware of other gangs developing
0:11:16 > 0:11:19better disguised vehicles, capable of storing
0:11:19 > 0:11:21even larger quantities of fuel.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25The diagram we've got here actually shows how the criminals
0:11:25 > 0:11:27have moved on, how they've
0:11:27 > 0:11:28moved away from using
0:11:28 > 0:11:29plastic containers
0:11:29 > 0:11:31and the side of the transit vans
0:11:31 > 0:11:33into a much bigger operation.
0:11:33 > 0:11:34You can see, when you look at it,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37the size of the van that they're now using, you can see that
0:11:37 > 0:11:39they're not going straight into the container.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42They're using the correct procedures to fill it up.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44But what's really happening is,
0:11:44 > 0:11:46the fuel is being diverted into containers
0:11:46 > 0:11:47that are in the back of the van.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51But while the criminals might be getting more sophisticated,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53the police are aware of their plans,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55and they have a warning...
0:11:55 > 0:11:56You will get caught.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01No matter how victimless you, as an offender, think it is,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03we will come after you.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11It's a competitive job market out there right now.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14In some cases, there are hundreds of applicants
0:12:14 > 0:12:16applying for a single position.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Often, the difference between success and failure can be one of these.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23A good reference. But this one is a fake.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Cooked up online for a fee by fraudsters.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Fake Britain has discovered that the business of supplying fake references
0:12:31 > 0:12:34is now huge, and that British businesses are being
0:12:34 > 0:12:38routinely targeted. That means thousands of jobs are going to
0:12:38 > 0:12:42the wrong people, and the right candidates are losing out.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Fake Britain wanted to establish just how widespread
0:12:48 > 0:12:52the use of fake references by job applicants is.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57So we teamed up with the Federation of Small Businesses to carry out
0:12:57 > 0:13:01the most extensive independent survey ever undertaken in the UK
0:13:01 > 0:13:03into the use of fake references.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Over 1,800 employers responded.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12And for Mike Cherry, Policy Chairman of the FSB,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15the results made for interesting reading.
0:13:15 > 0:13:2017% had actually found that some of their employees,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23particularly those at mid-level, had provided fake references.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28And of that 17% of companies,
0:13:28 > 0:13:306% had received fake references
0:13:30 > 0:13:32on more than one occasion.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37But as our survey proves, many employers don't check references,
0:13:37 > 0:13:42so the true figure is likely to be even higher than 17%.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Surprisingly, the survey also revealed
0:13:44 > 0:13:48men are twice as likely as women to fake a reference.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Well, that was an interesting point that really came out
0:13:52 > 0:13:54very, very strongly, I think nearly three-quarters,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57so that is certainly an interesting one
0:13:57 > 0:13:59that we'd never picked up on before.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01And the fakers are applying for jobs
0:14:01 > 0:14:05across the employment spectrum.
0:14:05 > 0:14:0840% of the fakers applied for entry-level positions,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12and the same number applied for mid-management roles.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15But there's trouble at the top, too.
0:14:15 > 0:14:2012% of the fake applications were for management roles.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23And 2% were for roles as a company director.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25I think that's a very worrying trend, going forward.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30You've seen it in the media in the past, where some fairly high flyers,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33so to speak, have actually falsified their CV
0:14:33 > 0:14:36or their job experience in some way.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43The survey also asked members about a disturbing new trend.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48A number of websites now offer to provide fake references.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51They promised to provide unwitting employees with glowing references
0:14:51 > 0:14:53for fake candidates.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56The employer can even call a number,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58where he or she will speak to a genuine-sounding
0:14:58 > 0:15:00human resources officer.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Now, of the small business owners
0:15:04 > 0:15:07the Federation of Small Business surveyed,
0:15:07 > 0:15:09over 70% weren't aware that
0:15:09 > 0:15:12online fakers like this lot
0:15:12 > 0:15:15are out there. It's of concern to Mike Cherry.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20Potentially, it can be very damaging indeed, because if you actually
0:15:20 > 0:15:23take someone on who you believe has got that skillset,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25and then it's proven that they haven't,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28you've still got the raft of employment legislation
0:15:28 > 0:15:30that you have to comply with.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33And if you don't find it out till sometime down the line,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35you could have some real problems on your hands.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40One of these sites, The Reference Store,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43boasts how its fake reference service has hoodwinked
0:15:43 > 0:15:47numerous companies into offering jobs to its clients.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Fake Britain informed one of these companies - The London Taxi Company,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55which sells and leases black cabs - about the testimonials page.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Graham Jones, the company's HR Director,
0:15:59 > 0:16:05was incensed to see his company name on the testimonials page.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06I felt annoyed.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09I mean, we're proud of the company that we work for,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12we're proud of what we make, we're recognised the world over,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and then somebody belittling the company by claiming that somebody
0:16:15 > 0:16:18could be fraudulently recruited, that they've got the skills
0:16:18 > 0:16:20to match the people that we've got now,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22I think that was just ridiculous, really.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24As soon as Fake Britain
0:16:24 > 0:16:27made The London Taxi Company aware of the claim that
0:16:27 > 0:16:30The Reference Store had supplied a fake reference
0:16:30 > 0:16:32for one of their employees, Graham took action.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36He ran checks on all the company's current staff.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39They're satisfied none of their staff have been employed
0:16:39 > 0:16:43on a fake reference, and they've stepped up their controls.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Rather than just assume that we weren't affected,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48we actually did a physical check.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52So I went back through the records of everybody that we've employed over the last two years.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56We will verify the company, we will check a website,
0:16:56 > 0:16:57we will pick up a registered address,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01we will contact Companies House to make sure that company is valid.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02We do a postal check as well,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04to make sure the company is located where it should be.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09Now, while it appears that some of the testimonials
0:17:09 > 0:17:11on The Reference Store's website are fake,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14how convincing are the fake references
0:17:14 > 0:17:16that these companies are offering?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Fake Britain decided to find out.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21We used another website - The Fake Reference Service -
0:17:21 > 0:17:23to order a fake reference for a janitor
0:17:23 > 0:17:26looking for employment in a school.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Surely the fakers wouldn't provide references for an employee
0:17:30 > 0:17:34working with children or teenagers?
0:17:34 > 0:17:3724 hours later, the fakers e-mailed to say they'd be happy
0:17:37 > 0:17:39to supply us with a fake reference.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45For just 190, or £115, the company promised to provide us
0:17:45 > 0:17:47with a fake reference.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50They also told us they would build us a bespoke website
0:17:50 > 0:17:53for a fictional school, in order to make our fake reference
0:17:53 > 0:17:55all the more convincing.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Bill Andrews runs an accredited teacher recruitment agency in London.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06We asked him to look at the website the fakers had built for us.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10The organisation has gone to great lengths to put this website together
0:18:10 > 0:18:12to give it more credibility.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Not only does it have a home page,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19it also has detailed 50 years' worth of history
0:18:19 > 0:18:22about this particular school.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25It details the families that it serves,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27it details what its history is,
0:18:27 > 0:18:32its links to other organisations and universities.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35There is information from everything from nursery
0:18:35 > 0:18:38through primary and secondary education that is provided
0:18:38 > 0:18:40as provision at this school.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42There are details of its admission policy.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46On our behalf, Bill then contacted the fakers
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and sought a reference for our fictional janitor.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51It arrived within 24 hours.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55They provided details about their key duties,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59they provided additional information with regards to their performance,
0:18:59 > 0:19:03their sickness record and, indeed,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07when providing information about their performance and conduct
0:19:07 > 0:19:11within schools, they had made sure that not everything was perfect.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14But for a sharp-eyed employer,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17there are clues that this reference is a fake.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Going to the website, there is no phone number for the organisation,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23there's no fax number,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26there's no information about any of the staff that work there
0:19:26 > 0:19:31or any contact details, other than an 'info@' e-mail address.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35And for Bill, the fact that a reference from a previous employer
0:19:35 > 0:19:39could be faked so easily is deeply alarming.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41A reference is a key part of any application
0:19:41 > 0:19:44for a job within a school.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47It's actually quite shocking that somebody,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49for a very small amount of money,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51is - within a very short space of time -
0:19:51 > 0:19:55able to falsify their career and go and get one, two,
0:19:55 > 0:20:00perhaps more references, and seek employment then in a school,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02working with vulnerable children.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Following the findings of our investigation,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09the Federation of Small Businesses has written to all of its members -
0:20:09 > 0:20:13that's 200,000 employers - warning them about the websites
0:20:13 > 0:20:16that are offering to provide fake references.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20I think it's important that small business owners are aware certainly
0:20:20 > 0:20:24that these fraudulent activities are taking place.
0:20:24 > 0:20:25There are fake references out there,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28there are companies providing these on the web or elsewhere,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31and unfortunately, just another symptom of
0:20:31 > 0:20:35where we are today in having to check all the references
0:20:35 > 0:20:36and all the bits and pieces
0:20:36 > 0:20:40behind getting decent recruits for our businesses.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49We've shown before on Fake Britain just how sophisticated
0:20:49 > 0:20:53the international criminal trade in counterfeit tobacco products can be.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Look at these - seized by the police.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Completely convincing, completely fake.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03but it's not just the smugglers who are getting inventive.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06The people who actually sell the illegal products here also have
0:21:06 > 0:21:08to try and keep one step ahead of the law.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Fake Britain has been out
0:21:10 > 0:21:14with Trading Standards officers who reveal some of the tricks
0:21:14 > 0:21:16of this illicit trade.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23In 2013, the authorities seized over 1 billion illicit cigarettes,
0:21:23 > 0:21:27and around 500 tonnes of illicit rolling tobacco.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Amongst the haul are numerous different counterfeit tobacco brands
0:21:33 > 0:21:36and products. The smuggling and sale of illicit tobacco
0:21:36 > 0:21:41costs HM Revenue and Customs billions of pounds every year.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45In a bid to stub out the trade in illicit tobacco sales,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Staffordshire Trading Standards launched Operation Ash,
0:21:48 > 0:21:53which targets the unscrupulous retailers who sell the tobacco.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Today, the teams are acting on intelligence
0:21:57 > 0:22:01gathered over the last month and have warrants to raid five shops.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05We're with senior investigator Nigel Cotton as he heads
0:22:05 > 0:22:09- to his team's target. - Once we arrive at the premise,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12we'll quickly alight the vehicles and get in there as quickly
0:22:12 > 0:22:16as possible. We don't want to alert them more than necessary.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20We'll go in, I'll introduce myself and issued the warrant, basically,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22telling them that we're going to search
0:22:22 > 0:22:24the property for illicit tobacco.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28We'll then introduce the sniffer dog and see if it can detect
0:22:28 > 0:22:30any illicit tobacco on the property.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34The team head in and question the first person
0:22:34 > 0:22:36they believe to be a member of staff.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Can you come inside the shop a minute? Ta.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43So are you working here?
0:22:43 > 0:22:46OK, I've seen you in another shop around the corner.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Are you calling the boss? OK.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52The gentleman here has contacted the shop owner
0:22:52 > 0:22:55who, apparently, is on his way. He's only three minutes away.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59But Nigel has a secret weapon -
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Ozzie.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05He's undergone a specialist training programme
0:23:05 > 0:23:09which has conditioned him to seek out only concealed tobacco.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15The tobacco on display won't interest Ozzie
0:23:15 > 0:23:17as he'll only get a reward
0:23:17 > 0:23:19if he can sniff out the tobacco that's been hidden.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25As you can see, the sniffer dog's come in and I think it's indicated
0:23:25 > 0:23:28that there might be some tobacco behind the counter.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35The dog's just indicated an interest in this...
0:23:35 > 0:23:37which, if we open it up,
0:23:37 > 0:23:38as you can see,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40are some examples of illicit tobacco in it.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Inside this box is an unholy mix of illicit tobacco.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46We've got unregulated cigarettes,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48known as cheap whites,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51packs smuggled in from Europe to avoid paying the duty,
0:23:51 > 0:23:52and counterfeits.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56It looks like some sort of first-aid kit.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05But Ozzie has found something else at the back of the store.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07That's a good boy! Yes, a good boy!
0:24:07 > 0:24:12The dog has indicated an interest in that demonstration canister,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15I suppose you'd call. As you look inside,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17it looks like it's full of cans.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20If we lift out that and look inside,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22you'll that there's a load of cigarettes...
0:24:22 > 0:24:25which are what we're after, basically.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27Yes! Good boy.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Ozzie's earned a reward - his beloved squeaky ball.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32He's a good boy, did you know that?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Erm, this is a counterfeit brand,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37so we don't know who manufactures that.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40It's a copy of the original, and the problem with copied brands
0:24:40 > 0:24:44is that you don't know what they're putting in the tobacco, basically.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47It could be sweepings off the floor, animal droppings...
0:24:47 > 0:24:50have been found in the past.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52So, you know, it could be anything.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57And some of the tobacco found here has been cunningly packaged.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Well, I believe that these are made up to look very similar to
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Golden Virginia. They're not called Golden Virginia.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04They're called Original Virginia.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Clearly, whoever's manufacturing them is trying to circumvent
0:25:07 > 0:25:10some sort of law by not doing an exact copy,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13but they're making it look very similar.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16- Good boy!- Well done, dog.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23The dogs are proving... I think we've shown them
0:25:23 > 0:25:25that they're an asset to working as a team
0:25:25 > 0:25:28with Trading Standards and Customs to finding
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- where the tobacco has gone. - TOY SQUEAKS
0:25:34 > 0:25:36As the fakers have become ever more inventive,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40the dogs have become crucial.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43The concealments that we're coming across now are very, very clever.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47They are being made, purposely built, to hide illicit tobacco.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52One of Ozzie's most eye-catching successes
0:25:52 > 0:25:56was sniffing out the illicit tobacco hidden within this hydraulic lift.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Inside the lift, Lincolnshire Trading Standards found
0:26:00 > 0:26:02a stash of fake cigarettes.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03This devious device
0:26:03 > 0:26:05is just one of a number of
0:26:05 > 0:26:08the fakers' hi-tech hiding places.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11We've had electromagnets that are hidden in walls.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Ones that are on beepers and sensors. Plugs.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16There's all kinds, and it's becoming...
0:26:16 > 0:26:19It's obviously becoming a moneymaking scheme to make these
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and to hide the tobacco for these reasons.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26When it comes to finding hidden cigarettes, Ozzie's a machine!
0:26:26 > 0:26:28You can't hide it from the dog.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35This find is enough for Nigel to ask the police to arrest the man,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37who's suspected of working in the shop.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40You're under arrest under the Consumer Protection
0:26:40 > 0:26:41of Narco Trade and Regulations.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43You do not have to say anything,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45but it may harm your defence if you do not mention
0:26:45 > 0:26:47when questioned something which you later rely on in court.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Anything you do say may be given in evidence.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54The police have just cautioned him and arrested him.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57He will be street bailed later, in a few moments.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Finally, the shop owner arrives.
0:27:02 > 0:27:03He's got a lot of explaining to do.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- We've visited your shop this morning.- Yes.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09We've found some illicit tobacco, basically, under the counter
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- and hidden in the back of the shop. - Yep.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16- We've made a receipt out for all the property which is here, OK?- Mm-hm.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19But Ozzie's not finished yet.
0:27:19 > 0:27:24He's picked up something in one of the cars parked outside the shop.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26The vehicle's registered to the shopkeeper,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29and there's two big boxes of illicit tobacco
0:27:29 > 0:27:31on the back seat.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34All the brands that we found in the shop, Original Virginia,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36a bit more stock this time, though.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39There's probably about 1,000 cigarettes in this box.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Both the man the police arrested in the shop
0:27:43 > 0:27:46and the shop owner will be prosecuted at the magistrates' court.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51If found guilty, they'll face fines and community service orders.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55For Nigel, though, it's been a successful day.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Seven arrests have been made
0:27:57 > 0:28:00and about 10,000 illegal cigarettes seized.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04It's just one of dozens of retailers
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Trading Standards are investigating all over the country,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09suspected of selling fake tobacco.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.