0:00:02 > 0:00:05Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Police!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- Get down, get down! - Get down on the floor now!
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Put your hands behind your back now!
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Here at the Fake Britain house things might look familiar
0:00:28 > 0:00:33but don't be taken in because this is a house that's filled with fakes.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37In this series, I'll be revealing the counterfeits, copies and cons
0:00:37 > 0:00:39that are flooding the market,
0:00:39 > 0:00:41fooling the public, making money for the criminals
0:00:41 > 0:00:44and maybe even putting you in danger.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46We'll be investigating those fraudsters
0:00:46 > 0:00:50who are cashing in by selling us something that isn't real
0:00:50 > 0:00:54and we'll be showing you how to avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Today on Fake Britain,
0:00:58 > 0:01:02one of the UK's oldest builders' merchants in the dock
0:01:02 > 0:01:04for selling illegal hard hats.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07I think it's terrifying that a reputable company
0:01:07 > 0:01:11have actually been selling this kind of equipment.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14And the fake bike parts putting the brakes on Britain's cyclists.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17This makes me really angry that this could happen.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21These people making these fake items are putting people's lives at risks.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24This little piggy went to the farmers' market.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27The porkies being told about these sausages.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29I'm shocked because they've committed food fraud.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34And the satellite TV fakers making viewers see red.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37If they're pensioners, they cannot afford to lose that sort of money.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44With around two million of us
0:01:44 > 0:01:46now getting on our bikes at least once a week,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49the UK cycle industry is thriving.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52People are willing to splash out not only on the bikes
0:01:52 > 0:01:56but also on bike parts to make their two-wheelers faster,
0:01:56 > 0:01:58flashier or just more comfortable.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03But these bike parts, which are all on sale to the public, are fake.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07They're made by people wanting to cash in on the boom in biking.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11As we're about to see, they're not only a con, they're also dangerous.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18With more and more of us getting on two wheels
0:02:18 > 0:02:21for commuting and leisure, the cycling industry's now worth
0:02:21 > 0:02:24a stonking £3 billion in the UK.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31But now it seems the fakers want a slice of the action...
0:02:32 > 0:02:35..with a growing trade in counterfeit bike parts.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43The fraudsters want to take Britain's budding bikers for a ride
0:02:43 > 0:02:45as Matt Phillips from Hereford found out
0:02:45 > 0:02:49when he was looking for a new set of handlebars.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52I bought a frame second-hand from a friend,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55I essentially needed to build a bike myself.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01'Ended up finding a site with lots and lots of carbon bars
0:03:01 > 0:03:02'and all sorts on there.'
0:03:03 > 0:03:07I did the usual tricks of checking their feedback
0:03:07 > 0:03:11and making sure they sold lots of items
0:03:11 > 0:03:13and the price seemed somewhere near sensible.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Matt found some carbon fibre handlebars that would make
0:03:19 > 0:03:24his mountain bike a lot lighter and increase the performance.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29And at about £50 these top-end bars branded as FSA
0:03:29 > 0:03:34seemed like a good deal so he took the plunge.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36FSA's a sort of known brand within cycling.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39I think their products are pretty much known
0:03:39 > 0:03:40for being of really high quality.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44I thought I had the added security of getting a brand like FSA
0:03:44 > 0:03:46rather than a cheap no name import.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Matt's handlebars arrived in the post about two weeks later.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56I built them into the bike pretty quickly after that.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02Nothing really made me think there was anything unusual about them.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I just forgot about them I guess once they were on there.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Sometime later, though, Matt was out mountain biking
0:04:11 > 0:04:16with one of his mates in the Malvern Hills.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19'It was a normal Wednesday evening ride.'
0:04:19 > 0:04:20Nothing too extreme.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25'I'd only been going about ten minutes,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28'we were just coming down off of one of the local hills
0:04:28 > 0:04:30'called Black Hill.
0:04:30 > 0:04:31'It comes down quite steeply
0:04:31 > 0:04:35'and there's a short rise before the next up.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37'And just as I went over that little rise'
0:04:37 > 0:04:41as my wheel came down, basically both handlebars snapped.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49Matt's supposed top-end bars had shattered into three pieces
0:04:49 > 0:04:52whilst he was travelling downhill at speed.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57And it wasn't just his handlebars that he broke.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00I felt my wrist and I knew that for the first time really
0:05:00 > 0:05:03that something quite serious had happened.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06I could hear it sort of clicking and crunching
0:05:06 > 0:05:08and hear the bones rubbing together enough to know
0:05:08 > 0:05:10that something was really wrong.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Matt's friend rushed him to A & E.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17X-rays confirmed he'd broken his wrist in two places.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23The wrist would need seven weeks in plaster and months of physiotherapy.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27This is the original X-ray I had.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31The bones at the end here had come away from their normal position.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34There are fractures here to the both the radius and the ulna
0:05:34 > 0:05:36and it's slightly dislocated
0:05:36 > 0:05:41and obviously it required a fairly intensive bit of traction
0:05:41 > 0:05:43to put it all back into place.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Matt is still suffering the consequences.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49My right hand is stronger now than it was
0:05:49 > 0:05:53but it's still not quite as flexible as my left.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56It's about 90% I think at the moment
0:05:56 > 0:05:58and it actually isn't as strong as my left hand
0:05:58 > 0:06:01even though it was the stronger hand before.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Matt found out his handlebars were supposedly made here
0:06:09 > 0:06:15near Milan at one of the world's top bike parts manufacturers, FSA.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21He took on a solicitor to demand compensation.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23You expect handlebars to be strong enough to withstand
0:06:23 > 0:06:24just normal riding.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28I was especially angry when I saw how they'd failed and I thought
0:06:28 > 0:06:32those handlebars aren't right and there's something wrong there.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37But two months later technical director Davide Riva
0:06:37 > 0:06:40would have some shocking news.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41Despite the branding,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45the faulty handlebars weren't made by FSA at all.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48They were fakes.
0:06:48 > 0:06:54This fake bar broken in three pieces, this is catastrophic.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57When something like this happens and you're riding your bicycle,
0:06:57 > 0:06:59you risk your life
0:06:59 > 0:07:03because you don't have control of the bicycle any more.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08This product has not been through any kind of quality inspection.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11If you do the testing in the lab and in real life,
0:07:11 > 0:07:13your bar will never, never break like this.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18By law, any mountain bike parts that are sold in Europe
0:07:18 > 0:07:24have to conform to the minimum European standard EN14766.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27This means they have to pass rigorous fatigue and stress tests.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30When fake parts similar to Matt's handlebars
0:07:30 > 0:07:34were tested by Davide's team, they all failed.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37This material is extremely cheap.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42The quality of the fibre and the resin and also the way it's built.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44So probably they don't control the pressure,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48they don't control the temperature and this is the result.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52The rise in fakes is a worry for the manufacturer.
0:07:52 > 0:07:58Every week we receive three, four complaints and then we discover
0:07:58 > 0:08:02that these complaints are because of fake products.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07And Davide Riva has seen many other British cyclists
0:08:07 > 0:08:11who've been duped by the fakers.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Paul McIntyre in Coventry for example.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17He was looking for a new handlebar stem.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20'The listing all looked very good and all genuine.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22'The photos were very good and clear.'
0:08:22 > 0:08:25It had all the right description with regards to the part
0:08:25 > 0:08:27I was buying.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31The seller had very good feedback which also gave me no concern.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36It's a crucial part which attaches the handlebars
0:08:36 > 0:08:39to the main body of the bike.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43At £85, Paul's handlebar stem was about a third cheaper
0:08:43 > 0:08:46than the in-store price.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50But when it arrived, it didn't quite live up to his expectations.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54One of the logos on one side seemed to be slightly offset
0:08:54 > 0:08:58so this made me think this item wasn't manufactured
0:08:58 > 0:09:00to the high standard that I was expecting.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04On the inside of the product, there was a crack that was visible.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09Concerned by what he found, he too contacted the manufacturer
0:09:09 > 0:09:11and sent them photos.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14They confirmed what he'd started to suspect.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17The part was counterfeit.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Paul eventually got his money back through PayPal
0:09:20 > 0:09:23but he could've paid a much higher price.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26This makes me really angry that this could happen as these people
0:09:26 > 0:09:30making these fake items are putting people's lives at risk
0:09:30 > 0:09:35and serious injury so I was very upset to discover that this item
0:09:35 > 0:09:37I'd purchased was indeed a fake.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Fake Britain has taken Paul's counterfeit bike part
0:09:41 > 0:09:43to the manufacturer in Milan.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46So what do they make of it?
0:09:46 > 0:09:50It's very evident on this fake product that they build it
0:09:50 > 0:09:54in a different way so it's just glued in three pieces.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57There is already a crack in this stem.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01If you look inside you can see that the aluminium part
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and the carbon fibre part are splitting
0:10:04 > 0:10:09so very soon this head clamp will leave the rest of the bicycle
0:10:09 > 0:10:11and you will lose control of your bicycle.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Extremely dangerous to use.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20In the past year, Davide has uncovered a host of other FSA fakes,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22like this seat post.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Here the two parts are already splitting.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Very soon this is going to break in half.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30When something like this happens, it's very dangerous.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34I mean, 60% of your body weight is on the saddle.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37If this is broken, it means you lose control of the bicycle.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43In one month FSA have had over 2,000 counterfeit bike parts
0:10:43 > 0:10:49removed from sale online, worth around 50,000 euros to the fakers.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52To help fight this battle,
0:10:52 > 0:10:56the manufacturer has also introduced various security measures
0:10:56 > 0:10:59to help riders spot the genuine from the fake.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04On the genuine one we have the serial number in this area,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08we have a glued in tag here with the serial number
0:11:08 > 0:11:12and also inside the bar we have the serial number.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14There's three spots where you have to check
0:11:14 > 0:11:18when you buy a new product to be sure that it's a genuine one.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21And Davide has another feature up his sleeve
0:11:21 > 0:11:24that the counterfeiters will find it difficult to copy.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27If you light this area with a UV light,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31you're able to see the FSA logo clearly
0:11:31 > 0:11:34but it's completely invisible to the human eye.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Sadly, Matt didn't know anything about this
0:11:40 > 0:11:44when he was duped into buying his dangerous fakes.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46'It could've been very, very serious.'
0:11:46 > 0:11:50I could've had a serious head injury or even a spinal injury,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52'it could've been far worse.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56'And my job and my family depend on that so...
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'Yeah, it was a very serious near miss in my book.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01'This is a warning for people.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04'We just take an assumption that everything's genuine'
0:12:04 > 0:12:08and my case shows that obviously there are lots of fake stuff
0:12:08 > 0:12:11out there and it's very, very dangerous.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22There's not much better than a barbecue in your back garden
0:12:22 > 0:12:25and you can't have a barbecue without bangers.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Sausages today come in a huge variety from traditional pork
0:12:29 > 0:12:32to the slightly more unusual but a bit more expensive wild boar
0:12:32 > 0:12:34or venison.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Can you be sure what's in them, though?
0:12:37 > 0:12:38As we found out,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42some sausages can contain some rather unsettling secrets.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49With recent scandals such as "Horsegate",
0:12:49 > 0:12:52where beef was found to be contaminated with horse meat,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55you might think that people would turn to buy their meat
0:12:55 > 0:12:58at places like this - the farmers' market.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01You'd hope that you could buy locally produced wholesome food
0:13:01 > 0:13:03that you can trust.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06I prefer to come here because of the quality.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08You know, you've got to support local businesses, haven't you?
0:13:08 > 0:13:10It's just better for us.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13The food's fresh and we know where it comes from.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Exotic meats like venison and wild boar are often on sale
0:13:17 > 0:13:22and you can even buy them in many supermarkets now.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26But now it seems the fakers are trying to take a cut of this action
0:13:26 > 0:13:28as Trading Standards found out recently
0:13:28 > 0:13:32when they seized this half ton batch of meat products
0:13:32 > 0:13:36that one trader was planning to peddle at local farmers' markets.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41These are wild venison sausages and the actual label,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44the batch number and also the health mark,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47all of that is made-up.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50So basically you've got a complete label that is false.
0:13:51 > 0:13:59By law, meat products can be traced back to their origin.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Somewhere along the line, these health marks have been stolen
0:14:03 > 0:14:07from another supplier and fraudulently placed on these items.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13But bangers aren't the only meat products being faked here.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Burgers are being falsely branded too.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20And Trading Standards have uncovered more suspect culinary delights
0:14:20 > 0:14:24with fake labels and false health marks.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28We've got various pigeon breast. There are different colours there.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30We don't know the reason why they're different colours,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33whether it's been in the freezer too long
0:14:33 > 0:14:35or they've been adulterated.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Hidden away in another freezer,
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Trading Standards have more evidence of fraud
0:14:43 > 0:14:45somewhere in the food chain.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49English Barbary ducks that aren't even English.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53This is a French Barbary duck that has been imported from France.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56He's been taking them out of the packages
0:14:56 > 0:14:59and then repackaging with his own labels
0:14:59 > 0:15:02on the actual Barbary duck and what that does is
0:15:02 > 0:15:06it tells the consumer that are buying the goods on farmers' markets
0:15:06 > 0:15:09that this product's origin is the UK and not in France.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15The problem is that much of this food fraud can stay hidden
0:15:15 > 0:15:18until something goes wrong.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20We had a complaint from a member of the public
0:15:20 > 0:15:24who'd actually purchased some of the products.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28She cooked the sausages for her and her family
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and immediately after having the sausages she became ill.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Now it's time to find out what's actually contained
0:15:38 > 0:15:40in these meat products.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Today, Trading Standards are taking four of the items
0:15:45 > 0:15:48seized in their operation for analysis
0:15:48 > 0:15:52and they include samples of wild boar and venison sausages.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59We're going to test the DNA we've extracted
0:15:59 > 0:16:03and that will tell us what species are in there.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08The samples are placed into what's called the PCR machine
0:16:08 > 0:16:12to establish which animal DNA they contain.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19Two hours later, it reveals which species are present.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25So what's in the so-called venison sausages?
0:16:25 > 0:16:30Looking quickly, we can see there's a small amount of pig there,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34less than 5% and obviously pig wasn't declared on the label
0:16:34 > 0:16:39so it shouldn't be there and we've also got greater than 80% chicken.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Both sausages adulterated with small amount of pork,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48larger amount of chicken so obviously that's not what it should be.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52The lab is unable to identity how much deer, if any,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54is in this sample.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58With over 80% of the sample unlabelled poultry,
0:16:58 > 0:17:01it's more like a chicken than a venison sausage.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04At that level, it's not by accident - it's been put there, you know,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07fraudulently, on purpose.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13But what about the wild boar sausages?
0:17:13 > 0:17:16We can't differentiate on the DNA between a domestic pig
0:17:16 > 0:17:22and a wild boar but you would expect, still, pig to come up.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Now pig does come up in the wild boar sausage
0:17:25 > 0:17:27but it's around the 5% level.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31There's hardly any pork in this wild boar sausage.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33If it's not pork, what is it?
0:17:33 > 0:17:39What we see is greater than 90% chicken so again gross adulteration.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43The chicken's been put there instead of the more expensive boar meat,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45I would imagine.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49They're results that Linda finds astonishing.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54I'm shocked because members of the public go to these farmers' markets
0:17:54 > 0:18:00expecting to get home-made grown products and good products.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04They're paying more elevated prices for these items
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and they're expecting good quality food and they're not getting it.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12The Trading Standards investigation is ongoing.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25'Welcome to the world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26'Welcome to Fake Britain.'
0:18:26 > 0:18:28I can't stand him.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32If you've got one of these, a set top box for satellite television,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36you've also probably got some kind of insurance to go with it.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Could be expensive if it goes wrong
0:18:38 > 0:18:40but as we've discovered that means you could be
0:18:40 > 0:18:44a target for the fakers and the fraudsters who switched on
0:18:44 > 0:18:48to what could be a very lucrative business.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55Sky is Britain's biggest satellite TV operation.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59It now has ten million households tuning into its services
0:18:59 > 0:19:01across the UK.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07But as 76-year-old Valerie Morris found out,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11the fraudsters are also focusing in on Sky's growing success.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15One day she got a call out of the blue.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- 'Hello, is that Mrs Valerie Morris?' - 'It is.'
0:19:19 > 0:19:22'Hi. This is Thomas calling regarding your Sky television.'
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Well, it all began with a phone call
0:19:24 > 0:19:29and when I picked it up I thought I was talking to somebody from Sky.
0:19:30 > 0:19:37I trusted that he was from Sky and he was sort of going on and on.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Valerie had just woken up.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44She was recovering from a recent fall.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47'OK, it's basically in regards to the service plan, Mrs Morris,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49'which has expired. We're calling to renew that again
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- 'so you're covered again with us next year, OK?'- 'Right...'
0:19:52 > 0:19:56They were offering insurance for the following year.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01The fact that I had had this from Sky the year before,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04I just thought it was a continuation.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07It all sounded very plausible.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11The salesman told Valerie he was offering to renew her cover plan
0:20:11 > 0:20:13in case her Sky box broke down.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16'The good news is, miss, because you were with us last year
0:20:16 > 0:20:20'and you didn't make any claims, this year it's falling down to £79, OK?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22'So it's over £40 cheaper for you.'
0:20:22 > 0:20:25'Right.'
0:20:25 > 0:20:30A £40 reduction in her Sky set top box cover seemed like a good deal.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36The problem is the salesman wasn't from Sky at all.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40Despite this, he went on to claim he had Valerie's credit card details.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45'Firstly, miss, the Visa debit card we had on the system for you
0:20:45 > 0:20:48'last year, the card number started 6-5-8.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51'Have you got that card there with you?'
0:20:52 > 0:20:55The number wasn't on Valerie's credit card at all.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57He then asked for her full details.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01'Now then, what number did you quote?'
0:21:01 > 0:21:03'The number first, we just need to confirm
0:21:03 > 0:21:06'the number across the middle of the card, the long number.'
0:21:06 > 0:21:12When he asked for my card details, I'm afraid I did give them to him.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16For some reason the credit card transaction didn't go through
0:21:16 > 0:21:19so a letter arrived asking Valerie for a cheque
0:21:19 > 0:21:21which she duly sent off.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Despite the cheque clearing,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26they sent another letter demanding payment.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30According to them, the cheque that I had sent they hadn't received
0:21:30 > 0:21:34and they were going to send debt collectors to my door
0:21:34 > 0:21:36if I didn't pay this money.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40I just flipped because we don't have debt collectors coming to the door.
0:21:40 > 0:21:46I felt cross, angry, the fact that somebody had been...
0:21:46 > 0:21:49had written me this terrible letter.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54In a state of near panic, Valerie got her son Gareth involved.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56I read the letter a couple of times
0:21:56 > 0:21:59and I started to realise there's something not quite right.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01The wording wasn't...
0:22:01 > 0:22:05It didn't fit together, the letter, it was very sort of in pieces.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08I realised it was a scam.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10So Gareth did some digging.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15First, he called his mother's satellite TV provider, Sky.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17They came back pretty quickly and said,
0:22:17 > 0:22:18"Look, this is nothing to do with us.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21"This is not a subcontracted company.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24"This is absolutely nothing to do with Sky whatsoever."
0:22:24 > 0:22:27The demands for payment had been sent by Aurora Satellite,
0:22:27 > 0:22:32the trading name for a Swansea company called Aurora Logistics.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37That confirmed it wasn't Sky and that pretty much led us into,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40"Right, OK, we need to look into this company. Who are they?
0:22:40 > 0:22:44"How do we get in contact with them? How do we get our money back?"
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Soon Swansea Trading Standards were also trying to find out
0:22:49 > 0:22:53more about this local outfit, Aurora Logistics.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57We started to receive complaints from consumers and in total
0:22:57 > 0:23:00over the investigation we received about 200 complaints
0:23:00 > 0:23:03all of the same nature.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Sky confirmed to Rhys' team
0:23:06 > 0:23:11that they had their own in-house cover plan called Sky Protect
0:23:11 > 0:23:15and that they were not connected in any way to Aurora Logistics.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17The claims that their salesmen had access
0:23:17 > 0:23:21to Sky customer records were fake.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24The sales staff didn't know anything, all they had in front of them
0:23:24 > 0:23:27was a name, address and a telephone number.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30They didn't know what they'd paid, they didn't know if they had Sky,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33they didn't know if they had insurance, they knew nothing.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39And they seemed to prefer calling during daytime hours
0:23:39 > 0:23:42as the majority of complaints were from pensioners,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45people like MS sufferer Carol Oatey.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47She was also lied to.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51'It was just a normal day until the phone rang.'
0:23:51 > 0:23:53I think that was the opening gambit.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57"We noticed that your contract with Sky is expired
0:23:57 > 0:24:00"and you're no longer covered by any insurance."
0:24:01 > 0:24:05They really made an impression on me that I would be in all sorts
0:24:05 > 0:24:09of trouble if anything went wrong with my Sky equipment.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12It was fairly aggressive and...
0:24:12 > 0:24:14persuasive.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Carol gave the salesman her bank details over the phone
0:24:18 > 0:24:21and parted with £79.99.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24When the documentation came through,
0:24:24 > 0:24:29I suddenly realised with a sickening jerk to my stomach
0:24:29 > 0:24:33that I already had an insurance policy
0:24:33 > 0:24:36and that I didn't need this from Aurora at all.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40It did make me feel sick to think that I might've lost £80.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45But the net would soon close in on Aurora Logistics,
0:24:45 > 0:24:47who were also operating under other names such as
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Cable Guy Technical Services,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53not to be confused with similar sounding companies.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57By now Trading Standards had built up enough evidence
0:24:57 > 0:25:00to execute a warrant on their premises
0:25:00 > 0:25:02here on the Kingsway in Swansea.
0:25:04 > 0:25:05When we attended the premises,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08we couldn't get into the premises initially through locked doors.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Finally, someone came to answer the door,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14which was Paul Delamere, the director.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16When I was speaking to him, unaware to me,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20the sales staff were rubbing their names off boards
0:25:20 > 0:25:22in the sales room, so they couldn't be identified.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24When some of them left,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28they went to the floor below and someone knocked off the fire alarm.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31We tried to get to what was called their server room,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33which was where everything was held.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Unfortunately, we couldn't get access to that point.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39They, allegedly, didn't have a key on-site.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41We weren't aware at this point
0:25:41 > 0:25:45that while we were waiting to get into that room, one of the directors
0:25:45 > 0:25:48was downloading something called evidence eliminator,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50trying to destroy everything
0:25:50 > 0:25:53which was on the hard drives in the server room.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58We, luckily, got in there with a locksmith
0:25:58 > 0:26:00just before it had actually worked.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04By sifting through the seized data,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Rhys and his team identified
0:26:06 > 0:26:09a shadowy figure behind the operation -
0:26:09 > 0:26:11a man called Jonathan Stockting,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14even though his name never appeared as a director
0:26:14 > 0:26:17on any official company documents.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Jonathan Stockting was... nice vehicles, er...
0:26:20 > 0:26:23living in a very nice part of Swansea,
0:26:23 > 0:26:25very expensive properties.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29He had previously run call centres in Swansea.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34We had received complaints about those companies, previously.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40Despite Trading Standards' attempts to stall his operation,
0:26:40 > 0:26:45the company moved again, and the complaints continued to flood in.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49So, five months later, Rhys and 100 officers
0:26:49 > 0:26:51swooped in on Aurora,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54once again arresting Stockting and nine of this team.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00On this second time, we were able to get core recordings.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02These core recordings were complete.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06The importance was they showed they had carried on doing exactly
0:27:06 > 0:27:09the same thing as they had been doing previously -
0:27:09 > 0:27:12misleading consumers into believing they were Sky.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Exactly the same scripts.
0:27:16 > 0:27:17For Rhys Harries and his team,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21the case against Stockting's outfit was building.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24To get it to court, though, they had to sift through
0:27:24 > 0:27:27around 100,000 recorded calls,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29seized from the two raids.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Here's one of the calls Rhys and his team
0:27:33 > 0:27:35were able to use as evidence.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Interestingly, in this call he's saying that,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47"We notice your Sky policy's expired."
0:27:47 > 0:27:51All he has, in fact, is their name, address and telephone number.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54He has no further information at this stage.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Again, he's saying "renew it" so it's an indication
0:28:00 > 0:28:03that it's a current policy with Sky which he has.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10The consumer is clearly under the impression they're from Sky,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12cos he asks them and he says yes,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14that we do all the Sky in the Wales area.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17Within the recordings,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Rhys and the team also found shocking evidence
0:28:20 > 0:28:24of the bullying tactics used to extract money from the elderly.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27ELDERLY WOMAN
0:28:44 > 0:28:47He carries on and persists and persists,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50and she has to hang up for a second time
0:28:50 > 0:28:52before she can get rid of him.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56And once the fakers had the bank details,
0:28:56 > 0:28:58the fraud didn't always stop at just one transaction.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Some consumers had paid six or seven times,
0:29:03 > 0:29:07up to eight times, for the same policy covering the same year.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11The consumer in one instance paid for four policies
0:29:11 > 0:29:13over the same week.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15To us that was clearly fraud.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20Later, time is called on Jonathan Stockting
0:29:20 > 0:29:24and his fellow fraudsters as they arrive for sentencing in court -
0:29:24 > 0:29:28including cold-caller Thomas Howlett
0:29:28 > 0:29:31who duped victims into handing over their credit card details.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Get that camera out of my face, mush.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44The construction industry is one of the UK's largest employers.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48If you're one of the estimated 2.5 million people who work in it,
0:29:48 > 0:29:52then you'll have worn one of these - a safety helmet, or hard hat.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55The law says they should be provided and worn
0:29:55 > 0:29:57wherever there's a risk of injury,
0:29:57 > 0:30:01and they must be worn in designated hard-hat areas.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03You rely on this hat to save your life, but...
0:30:05 > 0:30:07The safety claims stamped on it...
0:30:07 > 0:30:08are fake.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12And as we discovered, it was bought from one of the country's
0:30:12 > 0:30:14biggest builders merchants.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Previously on Fake Britain, we've revealed the dangers
0:30:20 > 0:30:24of cheap counterfeit safety helmets for sale online.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31Since then, another batch of dodgy hard hats has hit UK shops,
0:30:31 > 0:30:35not at any old store, but a builder's merchant
0:30:35 > 0:30:39with over 600 branches and nearly two centuries of trading
0:30:39 > 0:30:41in this country - Jewson.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47This shocking discovery came about during a routine survey
0:30:47 > 0:30:51by Northamptonshire Trading Standards in early 2012.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57We took seven examples of hard hats
0:30:57 > 0:31:00from different retailers and submitted them
0:31:00 > 0:31:03for testing to see whether they complied with
0:31:03 > 0:31:06the relevant European standard.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Out of seven samples from different suppliers
0:31:11 > 0:31:14that went through shock absorption tests,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Jewson's was the only one that failed.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Force that was transmitted through the helmet
0:31:20 > 0:31:22was in excess of seven kilonewtons.
0:31:22 > 0:31:23The European standard
0:31:23 > 0:31:27requires that it should be no more than five kilonewtons.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30The claim that it complies with the minimum safety requirements
0:31:30 > 0:31:34is untrue, therefore, it is a fake claim.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38Trading Standards went on to investigate more thoroughly
0:31:38 > 0:31:41and bought more Jewson helmets for further testing
0:31:41 > 0:31:43during their investigation.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49We took two of these to the world-renowned
0:31:49 > 0:31:51British Standards Institution -
0:31:51 > 0:31:55BSI - to show the real-life consequences
0:31:55 > 0:31:56of a substandard helmet.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04They've agreed to run shock absorption tests.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Mark Mayo is their lab manager.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14We are going to drop a mass of about five kilos onto the helmet
0:32:14 > 0:32:17which simulates a brick, or something similar to that.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20We're going to test for impact strength,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23to make sure that the helmet will actually withstand an impact
0:32:23 > 0:32:27and not transfer too much of the energy into the head of the wearer.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35The first hard hat we tested passed this shock absorption test.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38During the Trading Standards investigation,
0:32:38 > 0:32:42a single Jewson helmet also passed a shock absorption test.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50So, how well will the second Jewson helmet perform?
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Two of the clips on the cradle have detached,
0:33:06 > 0:33:08the cradle has come away.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11And, in fact, the actual cradle
0:33:11 > 0:33:14has broken, as well. In the centre.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16So, all round, not a good result.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22And, remember, this helmet has to perform within the safety limit
0:33:22 > 0:33:26of five kilonewtons, in order to pass the European standard.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32The energy imparted into the head was 9.95 kilonewtons.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35That's double the limit.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37That's quite a significant failure.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39In this scenario, the impact from
0:33:39 > 0:33:43the falling object that we're simulating in the test -
0:33:43 > 0:33:46the energy would've been transferred straight through into the head
0:33:46 > 0:33:48and caused a serious injury.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52The fact that it's carrying the C mark
0:33:52 > 0:33:56means that people might be wearing that, and believe that they're safe.
0:33:56 > 0:33:57And they're not.
0:33:57 > 0:34:01It's a five-kilonewton shock, but it's not a surprise.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04It simply reflects the worrying findings
0:34:04 > 0:34:06that Trading Standards obtained.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09In fact, during the Trading Standards investigation,
0:34:09 > 0:34:13several Jewson helmets produced worse results than this test.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21So, what do construction workers think about the fact
0:34:21 > 0:34:24that substandard helmets have been on the market?
0:34:27 > 0:34:28Can't believe what I saw.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33These things are here, that we use on-site, everyday,
0:34:33 > 0:34:37to basically save our lives. We do a lot of work up high.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40If somebody was to strike one of our blokes, when they had that on,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43then I'm looking at something serious, so, yeah.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Not happy about it at all.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50The British Safety Industry Federation advises manufacturers
0:34:50 > 0:34:54and suppliers across the UK on how to ensure
0:34:54 > 0:34:57the products they sell comply with Safety Standards.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01In this case, you can see that the head harness
0:35:01 > 0:35:04has become completely detached.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09The purpose of the head harness is to sit with the helmet proud
0:35:09 > 0:35:14from the head, to provide a distance between the shell and the skull.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17And, clearly, that's failed to perform.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Jewson were advised that several of their helmets had failed
0:35:23 > 0:35:25shock absorption tests.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Despite this, during the Northamptonshire
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Trading Standards investigation,
0:35:30 > 0:35:33the investigator managed to buy another suspect hard hat
0:35:33 > 0:35:38from a Jewson store, a month after concerns were first raised.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42Worse was to come, when this helmet underwent testing.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46The helmet failed with a force of 18.9 kilonewtons,
0:35:46 > 0:35:51so it was more than three times the permitted highest level.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56That particular failure was the worst failure that we recorded.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00It turned out that this line of hard hats
0:36:00 > 0:36:03had been imported from China.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06And, eventually, they were removed from sale.
0:36:06 > 0:36:11But Trading Standards continued to uncover more worrying evidence.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16They had imported approximately 63,000
0:36:16 > 0:36:18of this particular style of helmet.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20They did have a test certificate to show it had been
0:36:20 > 0:36:22tested in the past,
0:36:22 > 0:36:28however, this test certificate was not particularly current,
0:36:28 > 0:36:33which, of course, left the question open that something
0:36:33 > 0:36:37had happened to the type or the components or the make
0:36:37 > 0:36:41of these helmets, that had altered its performance.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46With the evidence stacked up against Jewson,
0:36:46 > 0:36:48they were taken to court.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53They pleaded guilty to five counts of supplying a safety helmet
0:36:53 > 0:36:57contrary to Personal Protective Equipment regulations.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01They were fined £14,000.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05What does the British Safety Industry Federation
0:37:05 > 0:37:07make of the case?
0:37:07 > 0:37:10It's extremely disappointing that such a strong brand
0:37:10 > 0:37:15and a strong household name would be providing product that wasn't
0:37:15 > 0:37:19up to performance requirements of the safety industry.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21Jewson told us they'd like to apologise.
0:37:21 > 0:37:29They said they would:
0:37:30 > 0:37:33...and have amended their buying processes to ensure this
0:37:33 > 0:37:35would never happen again.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38They say they are NOT aware of any injuries as a result
0:37:38 > 0:37:43of wearing these helmets, and agree it was an unacceptable breach.
0:37:43 > 0:37:51They also told us:
0:38:12 > 0:38:17They also told us:
0:38:20 > 0:38:23But Britain's largest union of construction workers,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26UCAT, is concerned by the case.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31I think it's terrifying that a company like Jewson's,
0:38:31 > 0:38:33a reputable company,
0:38:33 > 0:38:37have actually been selling this kind of equipment.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40And it just astounds me.
0:38:40 > 0:38:45How many of these hats are throughout the construction industry?
0:38:45 > 0:38:47The fear that I've got, of course,
0:38:47 > 0:38:50is that, these hard hats have been left in cabins and canteens and
0:38:50 > 0:38:54people have picked them up and will continue to use them.
0:38:54 > 0:39:00Construction workers were out there day in, day out risking their lives anyway.
0:39:00 > 0:39:05This adds further risk to construction workers.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Earlier, we saw how fakers are switching on
0:39:14 > 0:39:17to the world of multichannel TV.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20How a gang of fraudsters in Swansea misled
0:39:20 > 0:39:23the elderly into thinking they were calling from Sky...
0:39:27 > 0:39:31..selling them so-called set-top box insurance and defrauding them
0:39:31 > 0:39:35out of an estimated £500,000.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38People like pensioner Valerie Morris.
0:39:38 > 0:39:44I felt angry, I felt, my goodness, where are these people coming from?
0:39:44 > 0:39:48And MS sufferer, Carol Oatey, who also lost out.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52They know what financial situation people are in,
0:39:52 > 0:39:55if they're pensioners, they can't afford to lose that sort of money.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58Today, for Rhys Harries of Swansea Trading Standards,
0:39:58 > 0:40:00the end of the road is nearly in sight
0:40:00 > 0:40:03for his three-year-long investigation.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06The fraudsters are due at the city's Crown Court,
0:40:06 > 0:40:10where they'll finally receive their sentences.
0:40:10 > 0:40:13We had individuals either found guilty or pleading guilty
0:40:13 > 0:40:15to conspiracy to defraud.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18And, today, hopefully,
0:40:18 > 0:40:22the judge's going to be sentencing them in relation to those matters.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28I hope all the vulnerable and elderly victims will be satisfied after
0:40:28 > 0:40:34today, after the judge has passed sentence, that they have had justice.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39At Swansea's Crown Court,
0:40:39 > 0:40:4314 defendants arrive to face justice together in the dock.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48They include the scam salesman, people like Thomas Howlett,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51the cold caller who sweet-talked Valerie Morris
0:40:51 > 0:40:53into handing over £80.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56VOICE ON PHONE: Firstly, Miss, the Visa debit card we had on the
0:40:56 > 0:40:59system for you last year, have you got that card there with you?
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Jamie Williams, who browbeat an elderly woman into paying up while
0:41:04 > 0:41:08she was waiting for an ambulance to take her sick husband to hospital.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15And the ringleaders are also here.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18The head of the operation, Jonathan Stockting.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21He was the brains behind the Sky TV scam,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24but now he's in front of the cameras himself,
0:41:24 > 0:41:25he seems a little bit shy.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32After hours of submissions, the judge delivers the sentences.
0:41:34 > 0:41:39A total of nearly 30 years are handed down to the 14 defendants.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43The brains behind the business, Paul Delamare,
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Jordan Diamont,
0:41:45 > 0:41:50and our camera-shy Jonathan Stockting, are all sent to prison.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Stockting receiving four years.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57Get the camera out of my face!
0:41:57 > 0:42:00Salesman Jamie Williams and Thomas Howlett
0:42:00 > 0:42:05are handed down terms of 20 months and 15 months, respectively.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08But they are able to celebrate narrowly avoiding prison:
0:42:08 > 0:42:11their sentences are each suspended for a year.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15So-called sky TV salesman Howlett doesn't like the
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Fake Britain camera turned on him.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Stop recording!
0:42:22 > 0:42:24But there's a degree of justice for his target,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26pensioner Valerie Morris.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30I'm glad they'll get what's coming to them, because they'll deserve it.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33But, actually, I'm so glad I can put a line under it now.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38And the judge congratulated Rhys Harries
0:42:38 > 0:42:43and his Trading Standards team for bringing the fraudsters to justice.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46We're obviously very pleased with the verdict today.
0:42:46 > 0:42:51The judge wanted to send a clear message out to the company
0:42:51 > 0:42:55and any other companies conducting their business in the same fashion.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Anybody involved in this type of business will be given
0:42:58 > 0:43:00a custodial sentence.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07That's all from Fake Britain.
0:43:07 > 0:43:08Goodbye.