0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:06 > 0:00:07Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23- Get down! Get down! - Put him on the floor, now!
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Put 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 > 0:00:37You may not know it but your home could be too.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38In this series,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40we'll be investigating the criminals trying to
0:00:40 > 0:00:42get their hands on your cash
0:00:42 > 0:00:46by using fraud, forgeries and fakery
0:00:46 > 0:00:50and I'll be showing you how you can avoid being taken for a ride.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Today on Fake Britain...
0:00:55 > 0:00:56Police!
0:00:56 > 0:00:58..we're with the National Crime Agency
0:00:58 > 0:01:02as they crack down on suspected ID fakers.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Please open up or I'll put the door in.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08And we'll discover who's buying fake identities and what happens
0:01:08 > 0:01:10if one of them is yours.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15Somehow these people think I owe £113,000.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20The dark forces selling fake signatures to young Doctor Who fans.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23It's just ridiculous really. It was an abuse of trust.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29And the fake dental tool being sold to British surgeries.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33There is a risk of infection and the patient may lose their tooth.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42This is a real British passport.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43When you're not using yours,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47you'll probably put it away in a drawer and forget all about it.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49But while YOU may not be thinking about it,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53there are criminals who certainly are because stealing one of these,
0:01:53 > 0:01:55even if it means breaking into your home to do it,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58is worth their efforts.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02It's a gateway to the kind of ID crime which, as a nation,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06is now costing us 3.3 billion pounds a year.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Are you convinced you couldn't be a target for the fakers?
0:02:12 > 0:02:16It's 5am and we're in Essex with the National Crime Agency.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20The newly formed agency has a remit to tackle
0:02:20 > 0:02:22serious and organised crime.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Fake Britain has been given exclusive access to the team
0:02:25 > 0:02:28charged with cracking down on identity crime.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32This morning, the arrest team are acting on intelligence
0:02:32 > 0:02:33from the Passport Office.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Their suspect is thought to have applied for passports and
0:02:39 > 0:02:42driving licences under multiple different names,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44none of which are his own.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Principal officer Lewis Hunt is leading the NCA's drive to
0:02:49 > 0:02:52crack down on the identity fakers.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57There's been multiple identity abuse, not only just passports
0:02:57 > 0:02:59but also driving licences as well.
0:03:00 > 0:03:06And we're obviously keen to secure any evidence that we can find there
0:03:06 > 0:03:09in relation to identity documents.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14This morning's operation is part of the NCA's response to
0:03:14 > 0:03:17a disturbing new trend.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Lewis Hunt believes that the demand for fake identities is fuelling a
0:03:20 > 0:03:25rise in thefts of identity documents from ordinary members of the public.
0:03:25 > 0:03:32We've seen evidence now of people involved in large scale burglaries,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36particularly looking for identity documents.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40And those genuine documents are then being used by serious criminals
0:03:40 > 0:03:43to create the fake identities
0:03:43 > 0:03:45which will be used for a range of criminal activity.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Everything from complex identity fraud to
0:03:48 > 0:03:51evading travel restrictions.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Terrorists have used them in the past, money launderers,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57drug traffickers,
0:03:57 > 0:04:03even sex offenders to actually travel outside their actual banning orders.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Back in Essex, the arresting team go in.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Their suspect is about to get an unexpected wake-up call.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16KNOCKING ON DOOR
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Hello. Police. NCA. Please open up.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20KNOCKING ON DOOR
0:04:20 > 0:04:23National Crime Agency, please open up or we'll put the door in.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24Please, come on.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25Hello there.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Come down, National Crime Agency.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Eventually the officers are let in.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38We're here to search the premises for identity crime.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39Yeah, thank you.
0:04:41 > 0:04:4420 minutes later, the suspect is taken away for questioning.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48This arrest is part of the National Crime Agency's
0:04:48 > 0:04:50crack down on identity crime.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Fake Britain has followed the NCA's efforts
0:04:54 > 0:04:56to bring the ID fakers to justice.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01We were with NCA officers as they made their first arrest of a
0:05:01 > 0:05:05suspected seller of fake identity documents here in the North West.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10So far the NCA have arrested dozens of suspects
0:05:10 > 0:05:13and seized hundreds of fake ID documents
0:05:13 > 0:05:17and through these investigations, the NCA has learnt how criminals
0:05:17 > 0:05:21are stealing people's identities and applying for genuine IDs.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Suddenly they've got a genuine document that has been
0:05:27 > 0:05:29fraudulently obtained.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Back in Essex and an hour into the search of the house,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38the arresting officer senior officer Andy Guy begins to
0:05:38 > 0:05:42suspect there may be more than one faker in the house.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43A marriage certificate
0:05:43 > 0:05:48and evidence of a previous identity under a different name is found.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Let's go.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52Just come.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It's enough for them to want to question the woman further
0:05:55 > 0:05:56and she's arrested.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58OK, then, in you go.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02She seemed to be a different person with P45s
0:06:02 > 0:06:04and different identification,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08different documents with regard to the Inland Revenue, HMRC.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Now, there's a completely different identity.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14The search continues for another couple of hours while every
0:06:14 > 0:06:19document within the house is examined for evidence of fakery.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Well, in these bags we've got passports,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24we've got credit cards, we've got driving licences
0:06:24 > 0:06:28and on the phones, we hope to have identity details as well.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34The evidence here will be crucial if the team is to secure convictions.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Now, we're going to interview the man and the woman
0:06:37 > 0:06:42and hopefully we will have enough information to charge today.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49The haul is taken back to base and painstakingly logged.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55- There's your fake marriage certificate, I think.- OK.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Following interviews with the suspects
0:06:57 > 0:06:58and a review of the evidence,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02principal officer Lewis Hunt decides he has enough to hold both
0:07:02 > 0:07:06suspects in custody while the investigations continue.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12He's seen some cases where members of the public don't even realise
0:07:12 > 0:07:17ID documents, such as passports and driving licence, have been stolen.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19It might well be that you put them in,
0:07:19 > 0:07:24say for the instance, the drawer where all those documents go and
0:07:24 > 0:07:28lo and behold, when you want them for that particular bit of travel,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31you suddenly can't find them and
0:07:31 > 0:07:36they've been taken actually in the burglary as well.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38And his message for all of us is very simple.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Be aware of how important their documents are,
0:07:44 > 0:07:49to actually make sure they safeguard those documents because
0:07:49 > 0:07:55if they're broken into at home, those documents will be taken from them.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Later, we'll meet one man who knows all too well what can happen
0:08:00 > 0:08:03when your ID documents fall into the hands of the fakers.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07I'm totally innocent, I've done nothing wrong and, you know,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10why would I even contemplate remortgaging my property for
0:08:10 > 0:08:12something that I didn't owe?
0:08:19 > 0:08:23It's over 50 years old and a national institution, Doctor Who.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28Now, there have been 12 Doctors in all and in this anniversary
0:08:28 > 0:08:31celebratory book I've got a couple of their signatures.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Not that, that's the Dalek's.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38But look, David Tennant and over the page, Matt Smith.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42As you might expect in the Fake Britain house though, they're fakes
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and we've discovered there is a disturbance
0:08:45 > 0:08:48in the world of the Time Lords autograph hunters.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00Daniel Moore is 18 years old and a self confessed sci-fi geek.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05He's part of a new generation of Doctor Who fans
0:09:05 > 0:09:09and a keen collector of memorabilia and autographs.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I'm a big fan of Doctor Who and Star Wars
0:09:14 > 0:09:18and lots of other sort of sci-fi series.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20I like to meet these people and get autographs.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26This is when I met Billie Piper with my partner Sarah.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29This is a Doctor Who encyclopaedia, it's one of my proudest possessions.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31I've got lots of Doctor Who signatures in here.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38This is Christopher Eccleston and here is Matt Smith.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42But Daniel's love for all things Doctor Who
0:09:42 > 0:09:45was to cause him a big headache.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48When he was aged just 15, he came into contact with a man
0:09:48 > 0:09:51selling Doctor Who autographs online.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56Over the next two years, Daniel purchased around £850 worth
0:09:56 > 0:09:59of signed memorabilia from this individual.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01I'd bought this book a couple of years ago
0:10:01 > 0:10:05when I was 16 years old, I paid £30 for it thereabouts.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08I bought it because I wanted a piece of Doctor Who memorabilia.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I liked it, I believe they were genuine.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16But little did Daniel know that an investigation
0:10:16 > 0:10:19into the seller's activities was already under way.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Caroline Carter, a Trading Standards officer in Norwich,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28had received a tip-off about an eBay dealer selling fakes.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34We got reports was selling fake autographs on eBay and he was also
0:10:34 > 0:10:38providing little certificates with these autographs
0:10:38 > 0:10:40and photos of stars that were signed,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42saying that they were authentic.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50Caroline asked Gary King, an expert witness in autograph cases,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53to have a look at what was being sold.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56What caught Gary's eye was the number of
0:10:56 > 0:10:58undedicated autographs the dealer was selling.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04In the world of autographs, undedicated signatures, which
0:11:04 > 0:11:08consist of just the celebrity's autograph, are much sought after.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Celebrities will often want to dedicate a signature
0:11:13 > 0:11:16because it removes the option of you selling it on eBay,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19people don't want a dedicated signature,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22undedicated is much more valuable and so that's why they do it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Sales of undedicated autographs on this scale was certainly
0:11:28 > 0:11:31grounds for suspicion but Caroline Carter would need
0:11:31 > 0:11:35solid proof of fakery before she could act.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39She contacted the BBC team who issue signed photographs
0:11:39 > 0:11:42of the Doctor Who stars and told them of her suspicions.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Together they decided to make a test purchase from the seller
0:11:47 > 0:11:50so they could establish whether the autographs were genuine.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55This envelope actually contained the test purchase that the
0:11:55 > 0:12:00BBC Worldwide did and it contained an image of Karen Gillan,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03one of the Doctor's assistants in Doctor Who.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Miss Gillan examined this photograph
0:12:06 > 0:12:09and said she did not believe it was her autograph.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Caroline's investigation was gathering speed.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Victims were coming forward.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Soon she had a name, Andrew Sullivan.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Caroline applied for a warrant to raid his premises
0:12:24 > 0:12:26for suspected illegal activity.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29What the arrest team were to discover
0:12:29 > 0:12:31staggered everyone involved.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36This is just a small amount of stuff that were
0:12:36 > 0:12:39seized from Mr Sullivan's house.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42The haul they recovered from his house is one of the biggest
0:12:42 > 0:12:44ever seen in a case of this type.
0:12:44 > 0:12:50There was 76 bags of this sort of size of evidence that we seized.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52When you actually look at some of the bags,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54they've got thousands and thousands of photographs that,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58some were signed, some were preparing to be signed,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01some were just literally stored waiting for an order to come through
0:13:01 > 0:13:06so it sort of shows the public how much really was going on here.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08It was certainly not a small scale operation.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11One of the most damning pieces of evidence was found
0:13:11 > 0:13:15in Sullivan's makeshift waste paper basket.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16This was particularly interesting,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20it's a photograph of the celebrity Kerry Katona.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23It had been ripped into four separate pieces in the bin
0:13:23 > 0:13:28but pieced together, you'll see that it was signed by Jenny Agutter.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33Now, this really seemingly proved something was not right
0:13:33 > 0:13:35that was going on within the house.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41The Trading Standards team believes many of Sullivan's customers
0:13:41 > 0:13:44were in their teens when they purchased the fake autographs
0:13:44 > 0:13:46and, sadly, Daniel was one of them.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51We asked Gary King to take a closer look at the autographs
0:13:51 > 0:13:53that were sold to Daniel.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55This "Karen" is wrong,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58it starts off at one angle and ends up at another.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Well, again, if we look at this "D" in this "David Tennant",
0:14:02 > 0:14:07you can just see some very slight hesitations where
0:14:07 > 0:14:12he's actually drawn the signature rather than done it at any speed.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Whereas David Tennant would do that quite quickly.
0:14:16 > 0:14:22It was definitely an abuse of trust in the sense of ripping people off.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Trading Standards believe Sullivan made
0:14:26 > 0:14:30more than £35,000 from his fakery.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Faced with overwhelming evidence in court, Sullivan pleaded guilty.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Andrew, can you give us a comment on the case?
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Fake Britain caught up with the faker as he arrived
0:14:39 > 0:14:42for sentencing at Norwich Crown Court.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44But he wasn't very chatty.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Is there anything you'd say to the victims?
0:14:47 > 0:14:51Sullivan arrived at the court hoping to avoid prison but the judge,
0:14:51 > 0:14:53citing the scale of his operation,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56gave him a 21 month custodial sentence.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02What do the Doctors themselves think of this trade
0:15:02 > 0:15:04in fake autographs?
0:15:06 > 0:15:09We put the question to two former Time Lords at the
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Doctor Who 50th anniversary convention.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Well, I didn't know about that. I never thought of that really.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18How can you forge my signature?
0:15:18 > 0:15:23Well, that's appalling. I mean, it's just appalling, it's theft.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24Hello!
0:15:24 > 0:15:27It's really sad to prey on fandom
0:15:27 > 0:15:30which is people celebrating something.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33I guess you can see what draws people into doing these things
0:15:33 > 0:15:38but justice has been served in the end, I guess.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41You know, he might've made all that money, went on holiday,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44you know, did all these things and he's in prison now.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49But Daniel's unfortunate run in with an autograph faker
0:15:49 > 0:15:52hasn't put off his passion for all things Doctor Who.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59Just a few weeks after Sullivan's sentencing, Daniel is back out there
0:15:59 > 0:16:03tracking down former Time Lords and, of course, their autographs.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Just met David Tennant so I've just got his autograph,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08the real deal, it's made my day.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Fake Britain has been following the National Crime Agency
0:16:19 > 0:16:22as they crack down on the ID fakers.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Open up or I'll put the door in. Please, come on.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29The authorities suspect this man was using passport details belonging
0:16:29 > 0:16:34to an innocent member of the public to create fake identities.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37But how do you know when your identity's being faked?
0:16:40 > 0:16:45In 2003, Adrian Richards' family home in east London was burgled
0:16:45 > 0:16:47and his passport was stolen.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Adrian reported the theft and considered the matter closed
0:16:51 > 0:16:55but the burglary was to set off a chain of events of which
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Adrian would be completely unaware until seven years later
0:16:59 > 0:17:01when a letter arrived.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04It arrived on a Saturday morning, registered post,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06my 14-year-old son signed for it.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12The letter was from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
0:17:12 > 0:17:16and it stated that Adrian owed the German tax authorities
0:17:16 > 0:17:21in excess of £113,000 in unpaid VAT.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24It was a real shock, you had to look twice.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29We just couldn't understand why it was us.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34Never done any work in Germany and somehow these people think
0:17:34 > 0:17:37I owe £113,000 in VAT.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Under EU regulations, British tax authorities are duty-bound to
0:17:43 > 0:17:46collect unpaid tax owed by British citizens
0:17:46 > 0:17:50when specific requests are made by other EU states.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Adrian contacted HMRC to clear up the misunderstanding.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59We explained in writing to them and on the phone and still
0:17:59 > 0:18:05we didn't get any recognition from HMRC and we just kept getting
0:18:05 > 0:18:09these letters from the German tax authorities
0:18:09 > 0:18:12requesting to us this huge sum.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14But this was no administrative error.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18The German tax authorities had evidence proving a company
0:18:18 > 0:18:22registered in Adrian's name owed a small fortune in unpaid VAT.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26With the demands for payment becoming ever more insistent,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Adrian started to fear for his family's future.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33We went from, you know, the belief that it was a simple mistake
0:18:33 > 0:18:38and they've got the wrong person to desperation really.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Well, the only way I could raise that sort of money is through
0:18:40 > 0:18:44remortgaging my property and I'm totally innocent,
0:18:44 > 0:18:47I've done nothing wrong and you know, why would I even contemplate
0:18:47 > 0:18:51remortgaging my property for something that I didn't owe?
0:18:51 > 0:18:56Then another bombshell arrived, again through the post.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Yeah, we were in the middle of trying to resolve the issues with HMRC
0:18:59 > 0:19:00and the German VAT claim
0:19:00 > 0:19:05and we received an interim charging order from solicitors
0:19:05 > 0:19:10acting on behalf of the telephone regulator trying to recover
0:19:10 > 0:19:15a debt of £34,000 for misuse of premium rate telephone numbers.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18In this new demand,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21the British telephone regulators stated that Adrian was being fined
0:19:21 > 0:19:28for breaching codes of practice and he needed to pay a £34,000 fine.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32Well, the scam was this premium rate telephone company phone individuals
0:19:32 > 0:19:36and with a recorded message saying, "Help! Help!"
0:19:36 > 0:19:40The line went dead and then the individual would phone back to say,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44"Can I help?" And they got charged an exorbitant amount for doing that.
0:19:46 > 0:19:47With this second case,
0:19:47 > 0:19:52Adrian was now facing demands for over £150,000.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54It couldn't just be a coincidence.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59He began to suspect he'd been a victim of a sophisticated scam.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03He decided to fight back and reclaim his identity from the faker.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08We employed a solicitor and during his investigations
0:20:08 > 0:20:12found a copy of this individual's passport.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17I couldn't believe the fact that my passport which, MY passport,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20had my signature on it, my name, my date of birth,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22it didn't have my photograph on it,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24it had somebody else's photograph on.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29And they'd obviously doctored my passport to use for their benefit.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33You just don't believe that somebody else has taken
0:20:33 > 0:20:38and doctored your passport in such a way that it can be used and can be
0:20:38 > 0:20:45passed in banks and institutions to open accounts and start up companies.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50This evidence helped Adrian's solicitor convince the
0:20:50 > 0:20:54telephone regulator that it was a case of ID fakery
0:20:54 > 0:20:56and the case was dropped.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Meanwhile, Adrian was pulling out all the stops to convince
0:20:59 > 0:21:02the HMRC of his innocence.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07We went to our MP and explained the situation to him.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09We appointed a German solicitor.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Adrian had to use £2,000 of his savings to cover
0:21:14 > 0:21:18the cost of the German lawyer but it was money well spent.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23Three months later, he got the news that he'd been waiting for.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27The HMRC believe it's identity fraud and thank God,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29they closed the case which is great news.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39Now, while most of us might not look forward to a visit to the dentist,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43you'd be even more reluctant if you discovered that medical equipment
0:21:43 > 0:21:45being put into your mouth was fake.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Take a look at this.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51It's a dental curing light and it's used to set a filling.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56The problem is this fake wouldn't help to preserve your teeth
0:21:56 > 0:21:58and it could actually destroy them.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07You'll find a dental curing light in every dental surgery in the UK.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12The product is used by dentists to harden fillings in your teeth.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15But Danny Lee-Frost from
0:22:15 > 0:22:19the Medicine and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, the MHRA,
0:22:19 > 0:22:23is en route to assess a haul of fake dental lights.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27This morning, we're on our way to the MHRA evidence store,
0:22:27 > 0:22:29we're going to be looking at a consignment
0:22:29 > 0:22:31of seized dental curing lights.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33These products have come in from China and they've been
0:22:33 > 0:22:37the focus of our attention for the last two or three weeks.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41This isn't the first time the MHRA has had to act to stop
0:22:41 > 0:22:44fake dental equipment coming into the country.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Previously on Fake Britain,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49we've seen seizures of fake dental products,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53including this incredible range of fake tools from China.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59They're so badly made they could break inside a patient's mouth.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05The products Danny's come to inspect are part of a huge seizure
0:23:05 > 0:23:07at the Port of Felixstowe.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09During the course of this investigation,
0:23:09 > 0:23:13the MHRA have seized over 400 of these counterfeit devices.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17They were all destined to be sold on eBay and Amazon.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22It's hard to believe a professional dentist would buy one of these
0:23:22 > 0:23:27fake lights but the MHRA knows 256 of them
0:23:27 > 0:23:30have been sold to UK addresses, including dental surgeries.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35What we have here are two of these dental curing devices.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38This one is a complete fake, there's no details of the manufacturer,
0:23:38 > 0:23:43which means the CE mark is invalid, that's a fake device.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45This one is a counterfeit.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48The packaging and the labelling say it's been made by the
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Guilin Woodpecker factory in China
0:23:50 > 0:23:53which is a legitimate manufacturer of these products.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56However, this particular one we understand was made by a factory that
0:23:56 > 0:23:59makes products for tattooing.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03The dangers with these products are that we do not know where they were
0:24:03 > 0:24:05made, we don't know whether they're safe,
0:24:05 > 0:24:09whether they will work properly. Any dentist using this to try and
0:24:09 > 0:24:13harden off and cure your fillings, it may not work.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15That's going to lead to you going back to the dentist in future,
0:24:15 > 0:24:19you may have further pain, further problems and further treatment.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26Will Palin from the
0:24:26 > 0:24:29School of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham
0:24:29 > 0:24:33is going to compare the counterfeit product against the genuine light.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40He starts by testing the actual wavelength that the light emits.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45The power of the electromagnetic waves these lights give off
0:24:45 > 0:24:47is measured in nanometres.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50This measurement is critical in determining how effectively
0:24:50 > 0:24:53the lights will set the filling.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55So we've just finished the tests
0:24:55 > 0:24:59and the product that was purchased from a reputable company
0:24:59 > 0:25:02showed an output at 470 nanometres,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06whereas the product that was purchased online
0:25:06 > 0:25:09showed a shorter wavelength at 450 nanometres.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13Ultimately what that means is that the online product may not
0:25:13 > 0:25:18cure the filling material as effectively as the branded product.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24A difference of 20 nanometres doesn't sound like much but it could
0:25:24 > 0:25:28be crucial in determining whether the filling will set properly.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33Dr Palin now tests the light's ability to actually set a filling.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35What we're doing here is going to test
0:25:35 > 0:25:40the properties of the material that are cured by the light itself.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45This material is the white filling material that dentists will use.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48The dentist will fill the cavity with this material
0:25:48 > 0:25:52and then use the curing light to set the material hard.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59Dr Palin tests both lights using the same composite material.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03At first look, they look similar in terms of how hard
0:26:03 > 0:26:06they have become but if we look at the results,
0:26:06 > 0:26:11here we can see the purple line here, that is the sample that has
0:26:11 > 0:26:16been cured by the branded light and the red line is the sample that
0:26:16 > 0:26:20has been cured by the light that was purchased online.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23The way that the line drops, how quickly it drops
0:26:23 > 0:26:27and the amount that it drops gives us an indication of how well set
0:26:27 > 0:26:31the material is and you can see at the end of the test,
0:26:31 > 0:26:35there's a difference of approximately 10%.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39Despite the differences in wavelengths, both fillings feel hard
0:26:39 > 0:26:43to the touch and Dr Palin believes this is part of the problem.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46The dentist is not necessarily going to know
0:26:46 > 0:26:48whether the material is cured effectively or not.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53So it might be that the patient has to come back a week, two weeks later
0:26:53 > 0:26:55and either the material has failed
0:26:55 > 0:26:59or there's been some secondary infection and ultimately,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02the restoration will have to be replaced.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08We also asked Dr Palin to test the temperature that the light emits.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12And his findings are a cause for grave concern.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17What we found was that the leading brand showed
0:27:17 > 0:27:21an increase in temperature of approximately 25 degrees Celsius.
0:27:21 > 0:27:27The curing unit that was purchased online surprisingly had a temperature
0:27:27 > 0:27:33increase of approximately 50 degrees Celsius which is really quite high.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35This is truly shocking.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Under British safety standards,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41a dental light cannot emit more than 40 degrees.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45The fake light is outputting 50 degrees, 25% above the legal limit.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49When exposed to temperatures this high,
0:27:49 > 0:27:54the living cells within the tooth are at risk of being destroyed
0:27:54 > 0:27:56and that has serious implications for patients.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02The implications of such a high temperature rise could mean
0:28:02 > 0:28:06that it kills the living part of the tooth
0:28:06 > 0:28:11so the cells that are contained within the pulp cavity
0:28:11 > 0:28:15and, if that happens, there is a risk that the restoration will fall out
0:28:15 > 0:28:18and potentially the patient may lose their tooth.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.