0:00:02 > 0:00:05Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- Get down! Get down! - Get on the floor, now!
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Put your hands behind your back, now!
0:00:25 > 0:00:29It's just an ordinary house, it could be anywhere in the country
0:00:29 > 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 > 0:00:51And I'll be showing you how you can avoid being taken for a ride.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54On today's show,
0:00:54 > 0:00:59hunting down the serious criminals behind Britain's fakes.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01- You, son, nicked! - Doesn't look right, does it?
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Especially being in a lock-up like this.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05The fake high-end nail polish
0:01:05 > 0:01:08that's left some customers getting their fingers burnt.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Looking at these photos now makes me feel physically sick.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14I feel ashamed that someone in this industry
0:01:14 > 0:01:16has caused this damage to a client.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Fake computer hard drives,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22that could cost you your data and your money.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Two hefty nuts and bolts... I'd been duped in a big way.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And the flaming truth about fake hairdryers.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33If this was someone's house, it could do considerable damage.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42All these clothes carry well-known designer labels
0:01:42 > 0:01:44and they're all fake.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47It's the sort of stuff most of us know is sold on some market stalls
0:01:47 > 0:01:51right across the country, but to get these clothes into markets
0:01:51 > 0:01:54needs extensive organisation by the criminals.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Especially since the value of the goods often runs into millions.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03It's that organisation that's being targeted by Trading Standards and the police,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07and Fake Britain went with them on a recent operation.
0:02:08 > 0:02:113:00am. Trading Standards HQ.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Today we're going to do an enforcement exercise.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Everything we've done in the last 12 months has led us to today.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23Mark Wilson is heading up an intelligence-led operation.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25They're targeting a group they believe are using a legitimate
0:02:25 > 0:02:28self storage firm in order to stash fake goods
0:02:28 > 0:02:33destined for markets all over the South East.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36If people start playing up, kicking off, I want them floored
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and I want them out the way, cuffed and gone.
0:02:38 > 0:02:4343 officers, including Trading Standards, Scambusters and the police
0:02:43 > 0:02:47from nine local authorities are heading to the storage unit.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51The aim this morning is to intercept a number of groups of market traders
0:02:51 > 0:02:56who have identified an area where they can make quite a bit of profit.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04The aim this morning is obviously working with the police here, is to arrest them as they arrive.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06- We're in!- We're in.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Now inside the storage unit, the team gets into position
0:03:09 > 0:03:11for the sting operation.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16The officers will sit tight for the market traders to arrive.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18Before long, the team hears voices
0:03:18 > 0:03:20and engines running outside the lock-up.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26There's no telling how the traders will react.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31They're now poised to strike.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35SHOUTING
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Police! Police! Get out the car.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42All right. You, son, nicked!
0:03:42 > 0:03:44- OK?- All right.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Concerning the supply of counterfeit goods.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48What's up now, then?
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Right! You were asked to be quiet, weren't you?
0:03:52 > 0:03:55The short and sharp tactics used by the police
0:03:55 > 0:03:58have paid off, as they apprehend six traders.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Keys and mobile phones are seized, and any vital information
0:04:03 > 0:04:08the phones may contain will be extracted and used as evidence.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11If the men have been found to have sold fake goods,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13it could land these traders up to two years in prison.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17With the suspects in handcuffs, it's time for Duncan Lamp
0:04:17 > 0:04:21and his team to start the hunt for fakes.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24We'll go across all of the containers, looking over the top.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28If we find anything, we'll make a note of the number on the door,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31and then we'll crop the bolt and have a look properly.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Whatever the link to the men arrested,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36officers believe the storage units have been
0:04:36 > 0:04:38hired by an organised team, using fake names
0:04:38 > 0:04:43and more than likely, paying cash to leave no trace.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46But without knowing which ones they're using,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50they've got to search all 200 of them.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52- Is there a little one of them? - That's all.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And after an hour or so of searching,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58the team think they might've found some fakes.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02We're going to bolt-crop this container to see what's in,
0:05:02 > 0:05:03lucky dip.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08We have sacks.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11It's not long before they find what they're looking for.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Hollister, a popular clothing brand.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Take all of this out.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Again, unfortunately, not my size.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22It's a big find.
0:05:22 > 0:05:28The fake sweaters in this small container alone could be worth around £10,000.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32As well as clothing,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35the team quickly uncovers an array of other fake gear.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40PC Matt Smith has found a stash of fake car key rings.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Hands on, we've got Toyota.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Porsche.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48Checking if we've got any other... There's Mazda in here.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Numerous fake, cheaply made key rings with car logos on.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Produced for pence over in the Far East
0:05:56 > 0:05:59and sold over here for a nice tidy profit.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04From perfumes to electricals, the team are discovering more
0:06:04 > 0:06:06and more goods they believe are fake.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Ugg boots.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17A faker's favourite for years, being sold on markets all over Britain.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Three-quarters of counterfeit items seized in Britain last year
0:06:22 > 0:06:25came from factories in China, where some were made by children
0:06:25 > 0:06:31paid as little as £10 a week and working up to 18 hours a day.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35Meanwhile, the search is continuing to turn up even more stuff.
0:06:35 > 0:06:36Here you've got two watches.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40This one is how the watches are coming into the country,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43unbranded, no markings on the front and as we turn it over,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45no markings on the back.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49If stopped in customs, it's just a regular unbranded watch,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53which can legally be brought into the UK, no questions asked.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57We go to the white one - once it's arrived, has been branded
0:06:57 > 0:07:01somewhere in the UK. We've got the Ice markings on the face,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05and as we turn it around, again, you've got the markings on the back.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08That's how we go from one unbranded cheap watch
0:07:08 > 0:07:10to one counterfeit Ice watch.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Heading to a local market disguised as the real McCoy,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20these watches can fetch up to £100 each.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25Counterfeiting continues to evolve, and products can be imported either
0:07:25 > 0:07:28fully manufactured and produced or they can be imported in part.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33What we've identified today is that there is a manufacturing
0:07:33 > 0:07:37element as well as the distribution element to the operation here.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43In total, officers seized just shy of 40,000 fake items
0:07:43 > 0:07:46with a street value of £5 million.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49They were destined for markets all over the South East.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Where Trading Standards receive intelligence about counterfeiting,
0:07:54 > 0:07:59as a priority we will seek to deal with that swiftly,
0:07:59 > 0:08:04and we will target those individuals who are profiting from selling counterfeit goods.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08One, to protect the consumers, and two, to protect legitimate local businesses.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11That's a hard-hitting message to those counterfeiters
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and persons seeking to sell counterfeit goods.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Take a look at this, it's a portable hard drive used to store
0:08:24 > 0:08:29and transport computer files like documents, music and photos.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33It looks good, but it's what's inside that counts.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37In this case, very little. It's a fake.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Sidmouth in Devon, home to amateur photographer David Trigger.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46He needed a new hard drive to back up his prized pictures,
0:08:46 > 0:08:50and looking online, he found what he thought was a bargain.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54A two-terabyte, high-speed storage device.
0:08:56 > 0:09:02I came across an advertisement saying, "Hitachi Neso, half price."
0:09:02 > 0:09:07And I thought, "That's not an absurd deal, but it's a good one."
0:09:07 > 0:09:11The drive was priced at £69.95.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14David did his research and found that before the half price discount
0:09:14 > 0:09:18it was roughly the going rate for a premium hard drive of that size.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20So he snapped it up.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22When it arrived the following day,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24David was delighted with his purchase.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Very nice indeed, very nice.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Weighty, beautifully organised.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34There's like, a plastic strip all the way round, and the USB port
0:09:34 > 0:09:39very neatly tucked in the corner, and a status light for the drive.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42But when David plugged it into his computer
0:09:42 > 0:09:45and started trying to back up his photos,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48the hard drive kept coming up with an error message.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50I started to become very suspicious.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54I kept trying different operations, I even went back to reformatting
0:09:54 > 0:09:56the drive as it says in the quick start guide.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Wasn't really getting anywhere,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00but still didn't understand quite what was going on.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04David tried every trick in the book to get the drive to copy his files -
0:10:04 > 0:10:06nothing seemed to work.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09He phoned Hitachi and spoke to the technical team.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12No-one seemed to be able to get to the bottom of the problem.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15After wasting hours and hours trying to get the drive working,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18David decided to take some drastic action.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21I ended up in a position where I was getting very, very frustrated.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25I'm getting nowhere with the original supplier, I have no refund,
0:10:25 > 0:10:28what do I have to lose?
0:10:28 > 0:10:30It's about time I actually knew the truth
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and opened this thing up.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35But when David prised open the casing,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38nothing could prepare him for what he found.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40And behold,
0:10:40 > 0:10:45there are the contents of the Hitachi Neso drive.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51Two hefty nuts and bolts hot-melt glued into place to give it
0:10:51 > 0:10:55almost perfect balance, it feels just like the real thing when closed up.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00You would never know once that's closed.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Crude, but crafty fakery.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08The hard drive was instead just a small USB drive
0:11:08 > 0:11:11with less than 4% of the storage advertised.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Nothing more than a cheap fake.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18It was the worst fears realised, really.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21I'd been duped in a big way.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25It's humiliating, and it makes you feel very much violated.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29And unfortunately it's not just hard drives that are being targeted by the fakers.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33With 75% of households in Britain owning a computer,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36the data storage industry is big business.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40Electronic retailer Alan Dylan believes the fakers have now
0:11:40 > 0:11:43honed in on these things, USB flash drives.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48A USB flash drive is just a small, portable data storage device that
0:11:48 > 0:11:52can be plugged into any computer or device that has a USB port.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55They come in a variety of sizes, all the way from
0:11:55 > 0:11:59smallest 32MB all the way up to one or two terabytes.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05The more storage space on a drive, the more costly it is to make.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Alan believes fraudsters are making money by selling drives
0:12:08 > 0:12:11that advertise more storage space than they actually provide.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16We decided to investigate whether some USB sticks
0:12:16 > 0:12:20contain as much storage space as they say they do.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23So we took to the web to put this to the test.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27A couple of clicks later, we purchased a handful of sticks.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31We also heard there might be fake Micro SD cards out there,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34used in devices such as mobile phones,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36so we bagged one of them, too.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39It was time to send them over to computer data recovery expert
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Mike Montgomery for a closer look.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47First up is the 32GB, which claims to be a Toshiba,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49although it wasn't sold to us by them.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51Once Mike's removed the chip,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55he can stick it into his special machine, and...
0:12:55 > 0:12:58It's supposed to be a Toshiba 32GB
0:12:58 > 0:13:01TransMemory USB flash stick,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04it's actually 8GB.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06It's a fake!
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Next up, a 64GB gold bar-shaped USB stick.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Let's see what we've got.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17It is a fake gold bar - but is it a fake USB?
0:13:17 > 0:13:19I don't even need to take the chip off this one
0:13:19 > 0:13:22because it's actually marked on there, 8GB.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27So, supposedly 64GB - it's a fake.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31And after putting two more USB sticks through their paces,
0:13:31 > 0:13:36the last one Mike attempts to test is the 32GB Micro SD card.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39This one won't even be recognised by the computer.
0:13:39 > 0:13:44Well, I suspected this one was a fake, but it doesn't even work.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49It's just hanging the computer, trying to read the device.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53That in itself is actually worse than a fake, because it just doesn't work.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58So, out of the five Mike tested, three USB sticks were fake
0:13:58 > 0:14:01and the Micro SD card appeared to be faulty.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04It means you could very well be buying drives with less storage
0:14:04 > 0:14:08than you're paying for. But there's worse to come -
0:14:08 > 0:14:10not only are the fraudsters making themselves a tidy profit
0:14:10 > 0:14:15at your expense, most people won't even know they've been ripped off.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19So what you've got here is a genuine 16GB USB flash drive
0:14:19 > 0:14:22and a fake 16GB USB flash drive.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26They don't look any different from each other, just one's coloured
0:14:26 > 0:14:29green, one's coloured red, so when we plug the genuine
0:14:29 > 0:14:33USB flash drive into the computer it'll read as 16GB.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39So, the computer's reported the size of the genuine USB drive correctly.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Now the fake 16GB USB stick.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46It does in fact only contain a 1GB chip.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Will the computer pick up on this?
0:14:48 > 0:14:54And when we plug the fake USB flash drive, it also comes up
0:14:54 > 0:14:59and tells us 16GB, but we actually know it's only 1GB.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02So a fake USB flash drive has fooled the computer into thinking
0:15:02 > 0:15:07that it's 16GB, so what chance has a consumer got of realising
0:15:07 > 0:15:11that they've been duped into buying a fake USB?
0:15:11 > 0:15:13The fakers are doing two things.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Making the USB stick fool your computer into thinking it's bigger
0:15:17 > 0:15:21than it is, and making you think the stick is storing your files
0:15:21 > 0:15:25when it's actually recording over them again and again.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29If you put something on there, you want to be able to retrieve
0:15:29 > 0:15:32the data, and know that your data is actually going to be on there.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35So when you go back to get your dissertation, essay,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39music files, you want to know that they haven't been corrupted, lost,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and just like probably the supplier who sold them to you
0:15:42 > 0:15:45is going to be gone, they might be gone as well.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47But you're only going to realise you've bought a fake
0:15:47 > 0:15:49when it's too late and you've lost your data.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54But the authorities are determined to unplug the fakes.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59In west London, Trading Standards have just busted
0:15:59 > 0:16:02a bunch of rogue retailers for selling a variety of fake
0:16:02 > 0:16:06electrical goods in high-street shops up and down the South East.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Mohammed Tariq was at the helm.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Amongst the haul, totalling around a million pounds' worth of stock,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15there was a stash of fake USB sticks.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18If it's a fake, you don't know what memory's on there.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21It might not have the memory that it's actually advertising
0:16:21 > 0:16:23on there or displaying on the packaging.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Luckily, the journey of these fakes to our homes has now been
0:16:27 > 0:16:30short-circuited, but be careful - there's plenty more out there.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33For people buying memory cards to store data,
0:16:33 > 0:16:37beware of fakes because you may as well not back up at all.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39You'll lose your data and your money.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50This is an American brand of nail polish, CND Shellac.
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Not quite my shade.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53But for thousands of women, it's what
0:16:53 > 0:16:57they choose to have put on their nails in UK salons.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00It's a successful brand, and it's not cheap.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03They seem to be the reason some salons have decided they'll make
0:17:03 > 0:17:08more money if the Shellac service they're selling is a fake.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16CND Shellac is a nail polish treatment, and was created in
0:17:16 > 0:17:19the USA by a company called Creative Nail Design,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21or CND for short.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Nail technician Natasha Lee says it's a product that's been
0:17:28 > 0:17:29a massive hit with her customers.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35It was designed and created for women that were paying for manicures
0:17:35 > 0:17:39and they weren't getting their money's worth cos they just weren't lasting.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Now, the company says CND Shellac was some five years in development
0:17:43 > 0:17:48and went through around 7,000 lab tests before it went to market.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Its ingredients are a closely-guarded trade secret,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54but they claim 14 days without chipping.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59The genuine treatment costs around £25 per application,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01depending on where you go.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04So it's roughly twice the price of other nail services.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Now, here's the thing.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10To use this product you need to be a qualified NVQ beautician
0:18:10 > 0:18:12and approved to use it by the manufacturer
0:18:12 > 0:18:15before you can actually buy the stuff, but there are believed to be
0:18:15 > 0:18:20dozens of unscrupulous operators out there who are faking it,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23advertising they're offering the genuine CND Shellac service,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26but in fact giving you a cheaper,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Chinese gel polish instead, without the requisite training,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32equipment or application procedures.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34And because of these fakes,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36customers are ending up out of pocket, and more worryingly,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38with damaged nails.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42According to Gina Akers of the Hair and Beauty Industry Authority,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45it's a growing problem.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49There are many, many concerns when you have nail technicians and
0:18:49 > 0:18:52salons actually offering services that they are not trained to do.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55It's really, really important from a client's point of view
0:18:55 > 0:18:58that they're getting safe and good quality nail treatments.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01There are around 18,000 nail technicians in Britain
0:19:01 > 0:19:04that are approved by the manufacturer to carry out
0:19:04 > 0:19:07the service, and this is how it works.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Once the nails are cleaned and prepped, the technician adds
0:19:10 > 0:19:14a base coat and a colour coat and then finally a top coat,
0:19:14 > 0:19:19curing the nails in the UV lamp for precise timings in between,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21and voila! A Shellac service.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Ooh, nice nails.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27It's a whole different story when it comes to removal, and that's when you really see the difference
0:19:27 > 0:19:30between the professional product and the fakes.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34A lesson which university student Sophie Edwards has learnt.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36I sourced a salon that was local to me,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39that I'd heard from word of mouth off a few people,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42that said they were doing the Shellac and I went and tried it.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46Actually did have a CND poster at the bottom of their window.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Process seemed to be what I thought was the CND Shellac process.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54But after an hour in the salon having her nails Shellaced,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Sophie was left feeling a little disappointed.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00I'd seen pictures and heard from people that the finish is
0:20:00 > 0:20:03absolutely amazing, and it didn't seem that way
0:20:03 > 0:20:06and it felt really bulky on my nails.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09There was just a feel to it that didn't seem right.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11When Sophie had the product removed,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14it turns out her instincts were spot-on.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18I didn't have a CND Shellac product and I'd had, in fact,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22a fake Shellac product. I felt let down by the salon that I'd been to.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24I felt like I was a bit of a mug, actually,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28especially the price that I paid for the product and for the procedure.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33But Sophie, there's a lot of it about.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35The beauty industry is hearing of more and more women
0:20:35 > 0:20:38who THOUGHT they were getting the genuine product,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41but instead got their fingers burnt - quite literally.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Cathryn Hut thought she was getting the genuine product
0:20:44 > 0:20:46when she booked into a local salon.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49My first appointment was on the Friday night,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53and they applied the base coat to my nails
0:20:53 > 0:20:55and then told me that it wasn't sticking to my nails
0:20:55 > 0:20:58so then they decided to try and buff the top of my nails
0:20:58 > 0:21:00to see if they could get it to stick,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04and at one point that actually was a little bit painful, which I think is
0:21:04 > 0:21:07one of the things that made me think, "Ooh, this doesn't seem quite right."
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Within a few days, the nails started to chip.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15One of the main reasons that I went to have a Shellac manicure
0:21:15 > 0:21:19was the thought of it not chipping and lasting for at least two weeks,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21so I was really, really disappointed actually in that.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24A few weeks later it was time to get the polish removed
0:21:24 > 0:21:26and then reapplied.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28She decided to go to a different salon,
0:21:28 > 0:21:30where she was met by nail technician Jenny Smith.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33- Hi, honey.- Hello.- How you doing? - Good, thank you.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36But she was about to discover she'd fallen for a fake.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40So when Cathryn came into the salon, she said that she'd gone to another salon and asked for Shellac
0:21:40 > 0:21:43and that's what she thought she had on her nails.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46It wasn't Shellac that she had on her nails in any way, shape or form,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48it was something completely different.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Yes, Cathryn had had a brush with the fake Shellac.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Jenny tried to soak off the product.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58We wrapped it up for the normal ten minutes.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00And it didn't budge, it hadn't budged at all.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02It just wasn't coming off.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04When she did eventually get the fake Shellac off
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Jenny took these photographs of the damage to Cathryn's nails.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12On this one you can clearly see the big white patch here,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14and then the thumb damage,
0:22:14 > 0:22:19you can clearly see that these white patches are quite severe.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Looking at these photos now makes me feel physically sick.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25I feel ashamed that someone in this industry
0:22:25 > 0:22:29has caused this damage to a client's natural nails.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32It took around six months for Cathryn's nails to return to normal,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35an experience that's expensive and distressing.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37It made me feel quite angry,
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and had I thought that there was even the smallest chance
0:22:39 > 0:22:41it would damage my nails I wouldn't have done it.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44Unfortunately, we're seeing this more and more frequently.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47There's a lot of people jumping onto the beauty industry bandwagon
0:22:47 > 0:22:51lately, thinking that they can come in and make a quick buck
0:22:51 > 0:22:54but not doing things the correct way.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Natasha says the fakers are damaging the whole industry.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01Good morning... Yes, no problem, when are you looking for?
0:23:01 > 0:23:04The people that want and choose to use the fake Shellacs
0:23:04 > 0:23:08tend to be people who are wanting to cut corners and cut savings.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10With that, it tends to be the people that don't want
0:23:10 > 0:23:13to pay for the appropriate training.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15They are a blight to the industry
0:23:15 > 0:23:17because they do taint the name for technicians
0:23:17 > 0:23:20that are spending their time, their energy and their money
0:23:20 > 0:23:22making sure that they're doing a good service.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26But it's not just the professional beauty market
0:23:26 > 0:23:28that's fallen prey to the fakers.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Trading Standards officer Simon Cripwell
0:23:32 > 0:23:35has recently seized a stack of what appear to be fake hairdryers
0:23:35 > 0:23:38destined for bedroom beauticians everywhere.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43This is what we suspect to be a counterfeit GHD product.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46"GHD Precious", it's got written on the top.
0:23:46 > 0:23:47"Limited Edition gift set".
0:23:47 > 0:23:49We've got two products here.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56One is a GHD-branded travel hairdryer
0:23:56 > 0:23:59and the other is...
0:24:01 > 0:24:04..a GHD-branded hair straightener.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07We've seen fake GHD straighteners doing the rounds on Fake Britain
0:24:07 > 0:24:12before, but the fake hairdryer's a new kid on the block.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14The beauty market is absolutely huge
0:24:14 > 0:24:19and we are seeing an increasing number of electrical products
0:24:19 > 0:24:22and other products related to the beauty market coming onto
0:24:22 > 0:24:25market stalls which are selling counterfeit goods.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28As well as a manufacturer's logo on the box,
0:24:28 > 0:24:32this hairdryer comes complete with a vast array of extras -
0:24:32 > 0:24:36its attention to detail amongst the most advanced Simon has ever seen.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40These particular products come with very convincing paperwork.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46They also come with safety instructions that you would
0:24:46 > 0:24:49expect to find on genuine items.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53There are no spelling errors, as far as we can see.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00But has the same attention to detail gone into the safety side of things?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03The brand has confirmed it's a fake, but is it dangerous?
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Simon Cripwell's got concerns,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11so we take the fake hairdryer to a testing lab,
0:25:11 > 0:25:15where testing safety engineer Lee Picton does what he does best -
0:25:15 > 0:25:16test.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21My initial impressions are, yeah, you know,
0:25:21 > 0:25:23it does look the real deal, basically.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28The hairdryer itself, it feels like a genuine travel hairdryer,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32good weight, sort of feels expensive.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Yes, but looks can be deceiving - so Lee starts with the plug.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40So as you can see here, the conductor is soldered.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45This can cause the terminal in the plug to heat up.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48And that heat could lead to fire or to the plug melting, which is
0:25:48 > 0:25:52why soldered wires wouldn't meet British safety standards.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56I would deem this to be potentially unsafe in a household environment.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58If you were drying your hair and the plug melted,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00it could be dangerous,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03but there's worse to come as Lee prepares to carry out
0:26:03 > 0:26:06an important European-standard test
0:26:06 > 0:26:08that all appliances of this type must go through.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13Right, so what I'm about to do is place some polythene
0:26:13 > 0:26:17over the air inlet, and turn the power on,
0:26:17 > 0:26:18and set the hairdryer to
0:26:18 > 0:26:23level three, which will be its highest power input.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26This test is to simulate what would happen if the back of the hairdryer
0:26:26 > 0:26:30was covered up by someone's hair or a towel, for example.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32This will be restricting the air flow
0:26:32 > 0:26:35into the inlet of the hairdryer.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39To meet safety standards, hairdryers on the UK market must have
0:26:39 > 0:26:43a vital safety feature called a thermal cut-out.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47This will shut down the hairdryer if it overheats, to stop it
0:26:47 > 0:26:51from burning the user, or in the worst-case scenario, catching fire.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54If it's a genuine product, what should happen any time soon is
0:26:54 > 0:26:59the thermal cut-out should operate, cutting the supply to the hairdryer.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02But two minutes in, it's still going strong.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04The thermal cut-out should have cut out by now.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06As you can see, the plastic is melting
0:27:06 > 0:27:09so it's definitely a fake product.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18With the thermal cut-out not operating,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20the hairdryer's caught fire.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22It's giving a significant amount of flames,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24and if this was someone's house
0:27:24 > 0:27:26then it could do considerable damage.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Without this vital safety feature in place,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32the fake hairdryer has the potential to cause a fire
0:27:32 > 0:27:36and also burn anyone unfortunate enough to use it.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39This type of test, it is a bit of a shock,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42normally wouldn't expect such a fault to occur.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46A genuine product, thermal cut-out would operate, and the test
0:27:46 > 0:27:50would have ended without any hazardous situations occurring.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Someone could easily end up buying one of these dangerous hairdryers
0:27:53 > 0:27:57and think they're not only the real thing, but perfectly safe.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Lee fears it's only a matter of time before they cause serious damage.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05For people who've potentially purchased such products,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07it's definitely, definitely worrying.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16That's all from Fake Britain, goodbye.