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.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Police! SHOUTING
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 > 0:00:28Here 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 > 0:00:38that are flooding the market,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40fooling the public,
0:00:40 > 0:00:44making money for the criminals and maybe even putting you in danger.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47We'll be investigating those fraudsters
0:00:47 > 0:00:50who are cashing in by selling us something that isn't real.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55And we'll be showing you how to avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Today on Fake Britain,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00fake alcohol blighting Britain's pubs.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03This was actually found for sale behind the bar on an optic,
0:01:03 > 0:01:04and could actually kill you.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Fake architects who could leave your renovation in ruins.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10They were stuck with this place that wasn't safe,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14and they had to pay tens of thousands of pounds to put it right.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18Fake art that's fleecing art lovers for millions of pounds every year.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22They say it was found in an attic in the 1960s, when in reality,
0:01:22 > 0:01:23it was probably made last year in China.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26And what's in your takeaway?
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Fake Britain lifts the lid on lamb kebabs.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Looking at its label, I suspect the product is probably fake.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Keys, wallet, jacket... Got everything.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47See, I'm off down the pub. Going to meet my friends.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48Might even have a drink or two.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50It's part of the British way of life.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54So, in a British pub, you can rely on being served the real thing...
0:01:54 > 0:01:56can't you?
0:01:58 > 0:02:02The black market industry for fake alcohol in Britain is now worth
0:02:02 > 0:02:04an estimated £1 billion,
0:02:04 > 0:02:09as sales for counterfeit wine and spirits are on the rise.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12We've seen before on Fake Britain knock-off booze being sold
0:02:12 > 0:02:15in local shops and off-licences up and down the country.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17We're going to be seizing this,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19because it isn't a whisky. It's fake.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22And we've seen just how dangerous these fake drinks can be.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25It contains high levels of methanol.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27This product needs to come off sale today.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32But in St Helens, Merseyside,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Trading Standards officer Collette Rai has just uncovered
0:02:35 > 0:02:38a seriously shocking case of fake spirits,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41and one that showcases a terrifying trend -
0:02:41 > 0:02:45fakes being sold over the counter to pub customers.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47This is probably the largest operation
0:02:47 > 0:02:51that St Helens Trading Standards have been involved in.
0:02:51 > 0:02:52It all started
0:02:52 > 0:02:55when Environmental Health received complaints about a pub
0:02:55 > 0:02:59called the White House that was thought to be hoarding a stash
0:02:59 > 0:03:03of 1,500 empty beer kegs in the back yard.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06But Collette at Trading Standards suspected
0:03:06 > 0:03:09there could be more to this than met the eye.
0:03:09 > 0:03:15The pub was associated with low-level criminality, but I don't think
0:03:15 > 0:03:19any of us had any idea of the scale of what we were about to find.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23In the past, Trading Standards have dealt with pubs passing off
0:03:23 > 0:03:28cheaper spirits as premium brands as a way to bolster their profits,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31known in the trade as substitution.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35But as Collette and the team searched the White House pub,
0:03:35 > 0:03:39they quickly suspected a number of bottles for sale behind the bar
0:03:39 > 0:03:41might be fake -
0:03:41 > 0:03:43and they found a further stash
0:03:43 > 0:03:45of almost 1,000 potentially fake bottles
0:03:45 > 0:03:48boxed up in the flat above the pub.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Trading Standards chief Darrell Wilson didn't waste any time
0:03:52 > 0:03:55getting the suspect spirits out of harm's way
0:03:55 > 0:03:57until they knew what they were dealing with.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00As you can see, this is everything that Collette and the team
0:04:00 > 0:04:02seized from the pub.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04This is Prince Consort vodka.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09There is such a brand as Prince Consort, so this is a fake, a copy,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12made to look very convincing, with all the labelling
0:04:12 > 0:04:16and the wording just as you'd expect on the original item.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Even on the back of the bottle they go to the trouble of copying
0:04:19 > 0:04:22a duty stamp and a bar code.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24But this isn't genuine, it's fake.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30There was worse to come, as Darrell sent the fake Prince Consort vodka
0:04:30 > 0:04:32to be analysed at the lab.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35It contains industrial alcohol, which,
0:04:35 > 0:04:39if you were to consume this in any quantities, could make you very ill,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and could actually kill you if you carried on drinking this.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Sadly, over the last 10 years,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50there have been hundreds of deaths worldwide linked to fake alcohol.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52And as a result, we are all urged
0:04:52 > 0:04:55to examine the bottles we buy to check they're legit.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00But these fake spirits were being served to unsuspecting locals
0:05:00 > 0:05:03on a licensed premises by a landlord and landlady,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Cedrick Fitzpatrick and Barbara Gallimore,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10so the customers had no control over what they were drinking.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13This was actually found for sale behind the bar, on an optic.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16This was actually being sold to customers, which is quite worrying
0:05:16 > 0:05:19when you consider that people just going to their local pub
0:05:19 > 0:05:22for a drink with their friends are actually being served
0:05:22 > 0:05:26something which certainly in any quantity can be quite dangerous.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29These fakers didn't stop there.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34The team also uncovered a bootleg brand called Revolution vodka,
0:05:34 > 0:05:39that purported to be produced for the discount supermarket chain Aldi.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41When we checked, they'd never heard of Revolution vodka.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46It's all part of the method to try and sell this to people.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50And there was a further bootleg brand of Scotch whisky
0:05:50 > 0:05:52that was also being sold in the White House.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57There is actually no real brand of Dexters. This is a fake brand.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59And they don't actually contain whisky.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03It's just a brown spirit, but it's not whisky.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05So, being fake, they're illegal.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10And obviously there's 500 bottles of this we seized.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12The pub was immediately shut down,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14and has quickly fallen into disrepair.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19The White House, as you can see, is now completely empty.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23It's boarded up. It's been closed for some time because the licensee
0:06:23 > 0:06:27lost the premises licence and so can no longer operate.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29It's a frightening revelation -
0:06:29 > 0:06:32900 bottles of potentially lethal fake spirits with a retail value
0:06:32 > 0:06:36of almost £50,000, all being sold from a pub.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40St Helens Trading Standards have seen substituted spirits in pubs,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44and we've seen fake alcohol in off-licences,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47but we've never seen it on sale in a pub before,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and we've certainly never seen it in such quantities.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53This is the biggest stash of fake spirits we've seen in St Helens,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57and I'd suspect it's one of the larger ones in the country.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02In the UK, pubs are governed by strict licensing laws,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06and as St Helens councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron points out,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10if you can't trust a pub not to sell you fakes, who can you trust?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13It's important that the community should go out and be able
0:07:13 > 0:07:15to be trusting the people they're buying drink off,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18because you can end up in a vulnerable position.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Selling fake alcohol has always been an issue,
0:07:20 > 0:07:21but more of a backstreet trade.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24I think when people do it under the banner of a reputable pub,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27it dupes the public into thinking it's someone they can trust.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29If they're buying that under that misapprehension,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31then it's totally unfair and the council and authorities
0:07:31 > 0:07:33should deal with it very severely.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Thanks to the St Helens Trading Standards team,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40there's no more fake booze being traded from this public house.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42And for flogging the fakes,
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Cedrick Fitzpatrick received a nine-month prison sentence,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49Barbara Gallimore, a six-month custodial sentence,
0:07:49 > 0:07:51suspended for 12 months.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54I think the strong message that we need to send out is,
0:07:54 > 0:07:55if you dabble in fake booze,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Trading Standards WILL come after you, they WILL prosecute you,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00and you WILL be punished for abusing their trust.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Later, we discover that Dexters isn't the only phoney Scotch
0:08:04 > 0:08:05doing the rounds,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08and reveal the tricks they use to flog you the fakes.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12People will be buying this in the mistaken belief that it's Scotch.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14It's quite clearly a fake whisky.
0:08:19 > 0:08:20Look at these.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22They're architectural drawings,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25the plans for building work at someone's home.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28A lot of money is being spent on these,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31and much more on the actual work itself.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Now, they look very complicated, very professional.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36More importantly,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39they were the start of someone getting the home they dreamed of.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Can you imagine the problems
0:08:41 > 0:08:44if these were actually full of mistakes,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47and the architect who drew them up was a fake?
0:08:48 > 0:08:50After a short break,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53our national obsession with property is alive and well again,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57and many of us Brits are choosing to stay put and renovate the house
0:08:57 > 0:09:01we live in, rather than foot the cost of moving to a new one.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05But there have been scores of cases up and down the UK
0:09:05 > 0:09:07of homeowners who've put their faith in someone
0:09:07 > 0:09:10they think is a professional architect,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14but who turns out to be nothing more than an unqualified charlatan.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17The law states you can only use the term architect
0:09:17 > 0:09:21if you've registered with the Architects Registration Board,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24and it takes about seven years of education and training
0:09:24 > 0:09:25before this can happen.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31One person who's been on the receiving end of a fake is Frank.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35It's not his real name, but he's asked us not to reveal his identity.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Never one to shy away from a challenge, Frank decided
0:09:39 > 0:09:44to self-build a loft conversion to transform his 1930s semi.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47I've always wanted to build a loft. It's always been an ambition of mine.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50So I understood the rough outline of what was required.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52So, before he started,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Frank was looking for an architect to draw up some plans to work from.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58He saw an advert in the local paper.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02He was just one man working from home who showed me a bunch of plans,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06and I suppose he gave the impression that he would deliver what I asked.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Convinced he'd met a fully qualified architect,
0:10:09 > 0:10:10Frank paid him around £900
0:10:10 > 0:10:14to design a loft conversion and produce the drawings he required.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16When they came through,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20it even stated on the planning paperwork that he WAS an architect.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23But when Frank spotted what he thought were some mistakes
0:10:23 > 0:10:26in the plans, the so-called architect started to get
0:10:26 > 0:10:28more and more evasive.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30It was very difficult for me to question him,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32because he's the font of all knowledge, isn't he? You know?
0:10:32 > 0:10:36He's the architect. He's the guy who knows it all. So I'm obviously wrong.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Taking the architect's word as gospel,
0:10:40 > 0:10:44the plans were submitted to the council, and approved.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48But a few months later, Frank was about to discover a massive mistake.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51The big error with him was that on the planning side,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54with my particular property, being a semidetached,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56you're allowed 50 cubic square metres
0:10:56 > 0:10:59as a maximum enlargement of the roof volume,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02and he, unfortunately, made a miscalculation
0:11:02 > 0:11:04by 15% to 20%.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10The plan said it was 50 cubic metres,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12but in reality, it was only 40,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16hardly giving Frank any room to stand up in.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20It meant he'd just paid £900 for designs and planning approval
0:11:20 > 0:11:22that were completely unusable.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Once the penny dropped, I thought,
0:11:24 > 0:11:27blimey, the reason why he never answered my questions,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29the reason why he became quite abusive,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31it all came true, that he didn't like me asking the questions
0:11:31 > 0:11:33because he couldn't answer them,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36which caused me a lot of time and stress and hassle.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42And it wasn't long before Frank realised he'd fallen for a fake.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Yeah, I just felt ripped off, really.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47And the guy is out there, purporting to be something that he's not,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49and charging people accordingly.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Frank did some digging on the internet
0:11:52 > 0:11:55and discovered that the supposed architect he'd hired
0:11:55 > 0:11:57had already been prosecuted for being a fake.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59They're thieving, aren't they, from people?
0:11:59 > 0:12:01They're deceiving and thieving.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03It's like if I have an ailment and I go and see a doctor,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06I want to see someone who's going to put me right. HE LAUGHS
0:12:06 > 0:12:09I don't want somebody purporting to be something they're not.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Unfortunately it's not a one-off.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14This is a real issue in the UK, especially as we're finding
0:12:14 > 0:12:17we're doing more and more building work to improve our homes,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20and we're finding that people who are pretending to be architects
0:12:20 > 0:12:25are being prosecuted by the architectural registration board.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Paula Higgins offers an advice service to homeowners,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32and recently helped a couple who got duped by a fake architect
0:12:32 > 0:12:34they'd hired for a major house renovation.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39They thought they were employing a professionally qualified architect.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43The architect, in passing, referred to himself as an architect.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46But after entrusting him to design and project manage
0:12:46 > 0:12:50a £200,000 refurbishment,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53they realised he was a fake, after glaring errors.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56He failed to get the required planning permission,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59or ensure that the extension was built to regulation.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02It was quite late in the build when the client actually realised
0:13:02 > 0:13:05that he was a fake architect,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08so they were stuck with this place that wasn't safe,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11wasn't properly signed off,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13and had been very difficult for them to sell,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16and they had to pay tens of thousands of pounds to put it right.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20We've got to point out that it is perfectly legal to offer services
0:13:20 > 0:13:22similar to that of an architect,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26like architectural drawing services, for example,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28as long as you don't use the term "architect".
0:13:30 > 0:13:34But unfortunately, genuine architect Philip Atkinson is seeing
0:13:34 > 0:13:38more and more unqualified fakers illegally using the term.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39It is a problem to us.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42It's a problem that we're seeing that is growing.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45If somebody employs a fake architect, it's a tragedy really,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48because people will be paying fees to somebody who isn't competent
0:13:48 > 0:13:53to deliver their project, and there are huge risks involved with that.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56And it's not only the homeowners that lose out.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59We're losing business to people who are giving a lesser service
0:13:59 > 0:14:00for the same fees.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04It's not just fake architects that can dash your dreams
0:14:04 > 0:14:06of creating a perfect property.
0:14:06 > 0:14:07In Wolverhampton,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Trading Standards Officer Susan Bellingham has come across
0:14:10 > 0:14:12another type of faker
0:14:12 > 0:14:15cashing in on the house-renovating and building boom.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18This man, Harjit Singh, was offering his services
0:14:18 > 0:14:19as a planning agent -
0:14:19 > 0:14:23someone who arranges planning permission for a fee.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25One of his clients contacted the council
0:14:25 > 0:14:28when they suspected something wasn't quite right.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30It first came to light
0:14:30 > 0:14:33when planning services at Wolverhampton City Council
0:14:33 > 0:14:36received a planning notice
0:14:36 > 0:14:40that they suspected was a fake planning notice.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Planning promotion is a legal requirement in the UK
0:14:43 > 0:14:44if you're building a new home
0:14:44 > 0:14:48or carrying out major changes to an existing one.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Harjit Singh completed an application for a developer
0:14:51 > 0:14:57to build four bungalows, charging him a fee of £1,300.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Eight weeks later, Mr Singh told the developer the permission
0:15:00 > 0:15:03had been granted, and gave him this document.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05The problem is, it was a fake.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08As you can see, it looks a genuine document,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10and consumers, householders,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12developers that are new to the business
0:15:12 > 0:15:15may think it is a genuine document.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18So on the surface, the document looks legit,
0:15:18 > 0:15:20with all the information you'd expect to find
0:15:20 > 0:15:22on a planning permission notice.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25The Wolverhampton City logo is on the top right-hand corner,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28which is the correct logo that the council uses.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31The name of the planning officer is correct.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34But when the planning officer ran a check on the reference number
0:15:34 > 0:15:37issued for this particular application,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40things took an unexpected turn.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42The reference number that's on the document,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45that actually was a reference number for a different property.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Planning permission hadn't been authorised,
0:15:48 > 0:15:49and this was a fake document.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Rather than submit a planning permission application
0:15:54 > 0:15:58for the developer, conman Harjit Singh had cut and pasted
0:15:58 > 0:16:00his own fake version of the notice,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03saying that the permission had been granted.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06As they say, the devil's in the detail,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10and there were a few things Harjit Singh didn't get right.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13This is a genuine planning permission document
0:16:13 > 0:16:15issued by Wolverhampton City Council,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19and this is one of the fraudulent fake planning commission documents.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22As you can see, Wolverhampton City Council appears on both.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27However, at the end page, there's a signature here,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29that's a fake signature of Nick Edwards,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32and he's never been director of planning and transportation.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Now concerned that Mr Singh might be a serial faker,
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Susan did some checks
0:16:37 > 0:16:40to see if he'd ever submitted any planning applications,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43and found that he had.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45But one of these applications had been refused,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and when she contacted the homeowners,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52it seems they were given paperwork that told a different story.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55The householder was under the impression that a two-storey
0:16:55 > 0:16:59extension could be built on the side of his house, which wasn't the case,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02because planning permission hadn't actually been authorised.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06But like the developer before them, they'd paid Mr Singh a fee,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09only to discover they'd been the target of a fake.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12The householders were very shocked
0:17:12 > 0:17:15when they found out that their planning permission notices
0:17:15 > 0:17:17were fake.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20They couldn't believe it and were very upset about it.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23In total, Susan discovered three people had been affected
0:17:23 > 0:17:27by Mr Singh's fake planning permission notices.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29But thanks to her investigation, they were all told
0:17:29 > 0:17:33about the fakes before they'd started any building work.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35It wasn't all good news.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39The consequences were that the projects were delayed.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41There were also cost implications,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43and the fact that they've got to go through the process again
0:17:43 > 0:17:46employing different planning agents or architects,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and start almost from scratch.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52And as planning consultant Hayley Ellison knows,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54if you're building with fake planning permission,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58ultimately the homeowner is going to pay the price.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59If you don't obtain planning permission
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and you do building work, the local planning authority
0:18:02 > 0:18:05do have the powers to take enforcement action.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07The extreme is that they'd ask you to revert the property
0:18:07 > 0:18:10to how it was before, which obviously would be very costly.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14As for Mr Singh, well, for faking planning permission notices,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17he received a 12-month suspended prison sentence
0:18:17 > 0:18:19and 200 hours' unpaid work.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22He was also fined just shy of £8,000.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24It's very concerning that there are people
0:18:24 > 0:18:26who produce fake planning permission.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30It's quite worrying that people would potentially inflict that
0:18:30 > 0:18:33on a householder who doesn't really understand necessarily
0:18:33 > 0:18:35what they're getting themselves into.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The Architects Registration Board told us
0:18:39 > 0:18:42that if you want to check the credentials of an architect,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45you can do so by visiting the board's website.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48If you're concerned about a planning agent, you should contact
0:18:48 > 0:18:51your local authority planning office for advice.
0:18:57 > 0:18:58HE SNIFFS
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Now, that is the smell of Saturday night.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03We've looked at takeaway food that isn't everything it should be
0:19:03 > 0:19:05on Fake Britain before.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09The curries that are a con, the fish and chips that are a bit fishy,
0:19:09 > 0:19:11and the pizzas that are faking it.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13So all I've got left is the lamb kebabs.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17And if I ordered lamb, the law says it must BE lamb.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20I mean, what else COULD it be?
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Kebabs are one of Britain's top takeaways.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28In fact, we Brits are eating so many
0:19:28 > 0:19:33that the industry is said to be worth about £2.2 billion.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35That's a lot of doners.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Kebabs originated in Turkey, and in legitimate restaurants
0:19:39 > 0:19:42like this award-winning establishment in north London,
0:19:42 > 0:19:43you get the real thing -
0:19:43 > 0:19:47kebabs that are made using either chicken or lamb.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49But here's the thing.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Lamb kebabs are the most expensive to produce,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54as wholesale prices for lamb meat
0:19:54 > 0:19:58are almost twice that of beef or pork, at around £35 a kilo.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02And there are kebab shops up and down the country
0:20:02 > 0:20:05selling fake kebabs, swapping out the expensive lamb
0:20:05 > 0:20:09and instead giving you cheaper meat, such as beef or pork.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15It's 11am, near West Malling in Kent,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19and county council Trading Standings officer Susan Harvey
0:20:19 > 0:20:21is heading off to carry out a test purchase
0:20:21 > 0:20:24on a local kebab shop that they suspect
0:20:24 > 0:20:26is selling fake lamb doners.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Today we'll be taking a formal sample,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31and this is basically just to see whether the product is fake.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34You know, is it actually lamb, or has it got other meats in it?
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Pretty straightforward, really.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38Susan will buy a kebab,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42and then have it analysed to find out what meat it contains.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46If it turns out to be fake, the seller could face a hefty fine.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Now, Susan wants to get a sample of the lamb kebab
0:20:50 > 0:20:52as if she was a regular customer,
0:20:52 > 0:20:56so for now she's going to keep the fact she is with trading standards
0:20:56 > 0:20:57on the QT,
0:20:57 > 0:21:01which means the Fake Britain camera's going to loiter outside.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Can I have... a large lamb doner, please?
0:21:06 > 0:21:08That's all, thank you.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11And, with the sample in the bag, it's time for phase two.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14I've purchased it.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17I've just come out of the shop, and now we are going to go in
0:21:17 > 0:21:18and I'll tell them who I am,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20and then continue my inspection of the premises.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24It was described on the menu board as a lamb doner kebab,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27so therefore I would expect that to contain only lamb.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29From the tip-off she's received,
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Susan suspects she's got a fake lamb kebab, so she's going to have
0:21:33 > 0:21:36a chat with the staff and have a butcher's around the shop.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41- Hi, there. I'm from Kent County Council Trading Standards.- Yep.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- OK, just came in and purchased the lamb doner kebab from you.- Yep.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48OK, what I'm here to do is to do a formal sample of the food,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51because what we're going to be doing is checking for any other species.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55- All right.- So if it's got anything other than lamb in the kebabs, OK?
0:21:55 > 0:21:59- OK.- So I will need to come out round the back as well.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Susan knows the kebab shop could be buying the lamb meat in good faith,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06and the meat could be mixed further up the supply chain,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09so she wants to have a root around the kitchen for any evidence
0:22:09 > 0:22:11that could be useful.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15I'll just go out the back, really have a look at any documentation
0:22:15 > 0:22:17or labelling they've got for that product, if they have any,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21of course, for the product, still, or any details of the supply to them.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25- Where is the best way through, through here?- Yeah.- Yeah? Thank you.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Out the back, Susan wants to have a closer look
0:22:28 > 0:22:31at the packaging that the doner kebab came in.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35When the kebab comes in to you, is there any wrapping,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37is there any labelling or documentation
0:22:37 > 0:22:39that you get with it, do you know?
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- Yeah, yeah.- Have you got one at the moment, in storage?
0:22:42 > 0:22:46- I put it here.- You've put it in the bin, have you? OK.
0:22:46 > 0:22:47I'll have a look at that.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Susan's interested to see if the packing label contains
0:22:50 > 0:22:54any information that might show if the kebabs on sale are fake.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59At the top it does say "Mixed meat doner kebab",
0:22:59 > 0:23:02so it leads me to conclude it does contain beef in there. OK?
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Cos otherwise I would expect it to say "lamb doner kebab".
0:23:06 > 0:23:09The kebab shop worker is looking anxious.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13It's not surprising, since the label's ingredient list
0:23:13 > 0:23:18makes Susan believe she may well have just bought a fake lamb kebab.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20- It looks like it might be beef. - No, it shouldn't... It's lamb.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Yeah, it's got lamb,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25but there's something else written above there, isn't there?
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- Do you understand what the issue is here?- Yeah, yeah.- So a lamb kebab...
0:23:28 > 0:23:32- You need to find out what is inside.- Exactly.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34And it's difficult to read this,
0:23:34 > 0:23:37but I think that possibly says it's got beef in it.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40It looks like the supplier has labelled the meat correctly,
0:23:40 > 0:23:45but the shop is selling mixed meat kebabs, advertising them as lamb.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Looking at its label, I suspect the product is probably fake,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52which we obviously will need to confirm by speaking to the supplier
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and also by the test that we get done by the public analyst,
0:23:55 > 0:24:00because it looks to me as though it contains beef as well as lamb.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03With the suspect kebab and label bagged and tagged...
0:24:03 > 0:24:05- OK, thank you very much.- No problem.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07..Susan's work here is done.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Thank you.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12So now that will just go straight back to the public analysts,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16and then they will test it to look for the beef and lamb in there,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19and they will get an idea of the percentages,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22if there's more than one meat in there as well.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Back at base, chief tester Jon Griffin has analysed the lamb kebab
0:24:26 > 0:24:30by checking the DNA to reveal what meat it contains,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33and whether it's a fake.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35There can be an array of meats in there,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37or you might just find the one.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40A couple of shakes of a test tube, and it's official.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42The lamb kebab IS a fake.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46It contained 42% beef,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and only 58% lamb.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52And the restaurant that sold it is given a written warning
0:24:52 > 0:24:56to ensure they stop selling fakes.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58We have seen an increase in these things.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01It has been at a consistent level. There is a misdescription concern,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04and if they're what we're calling fake kebabs,
0:25:04 > 0:25:06then the consumer is suffering from that point of view,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08because they're not getting what they're paying for.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11The consumer must know what they're buying,
0:25:11 > 0:25:12that's the most important thing.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Earlier we saw how St Helens Trading Standards,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25for the first time, uncovered a stash of fake spirits being sold
0:25:25 > 0:25:29to unsuspecting customers in a licensed pub.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32This is the biggest stash of fake spirits we've seen.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35One of the brands on offer was a fake Scotch whisky.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39It's just a spirit, a brown spirit. But it's not whisky.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Now, Scottish whisky, known as Scotch, is so popular,
0:25:43 > 0:25:49it's a multibillion pound industry that employs over 45,000 Brits.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52In one year alone, Scottish distilleries produce enough bottles
0:25:52 > 0:25:55to stretch between New York and Edinburgh six times over.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Not that you'd want to do that.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Whisky writer and lecturer Charles MacLean has a nose
0:26:00 > 0:26:04for the Scottish dram, and understands why it's so popular.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07When you buy a bottle of Scotch whisky,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10you're buying a hell of a lot more than liquor in a bottle.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15You're buying craft, you're buying culture, you're buying history.
0:26:15 > 0:26:20And if the whisky is not what it says it is,
0:26:20 > 0:26:22it leads to disappointment.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24And yes, you've guessed it,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27there are disappointed drinkers up and down the UK,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31as Scotch whisky has been targeted by the fakers.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35And it's the job of Scottish Whisky Association lawyer Lindesay Low
0:26:35 > 0:26:37to flush out the fakes.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41Scotch whisky is defined by law.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45There are very strict regulations regarding how it must be made,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49and the industry is closely supervised by UK Customs
0:26:49 > 0:26:52who make sure that people are playing by the rules.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56In order to sell it as a genuine Scotch whisky,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00there are certain boxes the drink has to tick,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and failure to do so will make it a fake.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Scotch whisky is a very pure and natural product.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08There's only three raw materials that are used in its production,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11and that's water, cereal and yeast.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Another important part of the production process,
0:27:13 > 0:27:18it has to matured for at least three years in Scotland, in oak barrels.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22The ageing of whisky in the wooden barrels is an expensive process,
0:27:22 > 0:27:24and there are fakers out there trying to cash in
0:27:24 > 0:27:28on the lucrative market by passing off substandard spirits
0:27:28 > 0:27:31as a drop of the good old stuff.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34When we come across fake Scotch whiskies, we generally find
0:27:34 > 0:27:38that they consist of unaged, neutral spirits,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42possibly with a small amount of genuine whisky added to them,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46to give them a superficial appearance and flavour of the real thing.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51And it's not just what's inside the bottle that is designed to dupe.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53It's the bottles themselves.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58OK, well, we've got a few bottles here that we've discovered in the UK,
0:27:58 > 0:27:59and they're all fake whiskies.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01The first of these is Dexter,
0:28:01 > 0:28:06and this product was seen widely across England.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09It's the fake brand we saw Merseyside Trading Standards
0:28:09 > 0:28:11seize from the White House pub.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15The Scottish Whisky Research Institute ran specific tests
0:28:15 > 0:28:19on the liquid in the bottle that claims to be a Scottish whisky,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22just to see whether it's been aged in oak barrels
0:28:22 > 0:28:24or whether it's just a cheap fake.
0:28:24 > 0:28:25Probably most importantly,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28they've looked at the compounds that are present as a result
0:28:28 > 0:28:33of it being aged in barrels, so we can tell from that it's not been aged
0:28:33 > 0:28:36for three years as required, and therefore it can't be sold as whisky.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40It also revealed that the liquid was a neutral, unaged alcoholic spirit,
0:28:40 > 0:28:44most likely dyed to give it a similar colour to whisky.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47It's quite clearly a fake whisky.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50And it's not the only one.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53In fact, over the last 10 years, Lindesay has seen 20 different
0:28:53 > 0:28:57fake Scottish whisky brands being sold in Britain.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Here's one of his personal favourites.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01This is another fake whisky.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Looking at it, it's got a lot of Scottish imagery,
0:29:04 > 0:29:08it's got the Highland dancer. It's called Scottish Swordsman.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10If you read the back label,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13"..aged and blended in the Highlands in the old Scottish tradition."
0:29:13 > 0:29:15But again, this is completely fake.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19It's neutral, unaged alcohol, a far inferior product.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23Genuine blended Scottish whisky retails from around £12 a bottle,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26and the cost of producing it varies depending on how long
0:29:26 > 0:29:28the liquid has aged for.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30But a neutral, unaged spirit,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32packaged as a fake Scotch like this Scottish Swordsman,
0:29:32 > 0:29:37can be knocked up in a Del Boy distillery for significantly less.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40There can be no doubt that people will be buying this
0:29:40 > 0:29:43in the mistaken belief that it's Scotch.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45And as Charles MacLean knows only too well,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49it's the drinker's palate that ultimately pays the price.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53These counterfeiters who can buy some very cheap-based spirit
0:29:53 > 0:29:56and colour it up and stick it into a bottle,
0:29:56 > 0:30:01is...from a flavour point of view, is disastrous.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04But drinkers aren't the only ones to suffer.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Scotch whisky sells because it's a natural, high-quality,
0:30:10 > 0:30:12iconic product.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15If it's widely faked, we could lose that,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17and it's something we probably wouldn't be able to get back.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Later, recycling's not always good.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25Old bottles filled with botched Scotch.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28You know, maybe it's single-cask washing-up liquid. I don't know.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30But it's not the real deal.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Take a look at this. It's a name you might recognise.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42LS Lowry. Famous for the "matchstick men" he created in industrial scenes
0:30:42 > 0:30:46of life in the north-west of England where he lived,
0:30:46 > 0:30:49he often made sketches like this on almost anything -
0:30:49 > 0:30:51back of a napkin, or a postcard.
0:30:51 > 0:30:56Look, here's another, signed "Lowry".
0:30:56 > 0:30:58In fact, we've got a whole pile of them.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00You guessed it, they're fakes.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04If they were real, they could be worth thousands of pounds each.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07When it comes to art, the fakers are everywhere.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12From a Monet to a Michelangelo,
0:31:12 > 0:31:16fake art has been around almost as long as art.
0:31:16 > 0:31:17However, in recent years,
0:31:17 > 0:31:21fake art has taken on a more sinister trend,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23something art and antiques valuer Aubrey Dawson
0:31:23 > 0:31:26is seeing a lot more of.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27In the past,
0:31:27 > 0:31:30a lot of paintings were forged with the intent of trying to deceive
0:31:30 > 0:31:32the big museums, the big galleries,
0:31:32 > 0:31:35and the people at the top of the art market.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Today, with the advent of the internet,
0:31:37 > 0:31:41pictures are far more available to the people on the street.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44So forgers and fakers are not focusing so much on the Rembrandts
0:31:44 > 0:31:46on Monets, Picassos,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49they're focusing on smaller artists who are much easier to fake,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53lower prices, and as a result, people will buy them.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57So, online fake art sellers trying to swindle art lovers
0:31:57 > 0:32:00out of their hard-earned cash doesn't sound too good.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03And what's worse, it looks like it's here to stay.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06For the fraudster, it's big business.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10We've seen a great influx from the Far East, so in some parts of China
0:32:10 > 0:32:14there's whole cities dedicated to churning out fake paintings.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18So the sellers say it was found in an attic in the 1960s,
0:32:18 > 0:32:21when in reality, it was probably made last year in China.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25One of the few living artists to be targeted by the fakers
0:32:25 > 0:32:29is Ashley Jackson, a watercolour painter from Yorkshire.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33There are people in life who want an easy way out.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36And this is their easy way out. Fake everything.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38To me, they're killing an industry.
0:32:41 > 0:32:43And like a lot of things in the world of fakes,
0:32:43 > 0:32:47it all began with a tip-off to Ashley's agent, Claudia.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51We received a phone call to the gallery from an anonymous caller
0:32:51 > 0:32:55advising us that Ashley Jackson's work was being sold
0:32:55 > 0:32:58on an online auction site.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02There is a genuine resale market for Ashley Jackson originals,
0:33:02 > 0:33:05which can fetch tens of thousands of pounds -
0:33:05 > 0:33:08but when Claudia had a thumb through the adverts,
0:33:08 > 0:33:10she could tell something wasn't quite right.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12This one, its title is saying
0:33:12 > 0:33:15"Original Ashley Jackson watercolour signed 1972."
0:33:15 > 0:33:17In terms of knowing it's a fake,
0:33:17 > 0:33:21it's poor composition, and the signature's not Ashley's.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25And it is just a poor, wishy-washy imitation.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27If Claudia's eagle eye
0:33:27 > 0:33:30wasn't enough to prove these paintings were fake,
0:33:30 > 0:33:32it was a howler the fraudster made
0:33:32 > 0:33:34which was the final nail in the coffin.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38One of the later drawings he's done,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41I think he found that the first one had sold so well
0:33:41 > 0:33:43and that he'd reproduce a second one of the same image.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45He's reproduced an image
0:33:45 > 0:33:47and said it's an Ashley Jackson original watercolour.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51His wording is that he's saying it is an original.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Now, the whole point of an original
0:33:53 > 0:33:55is there is only one of them ever made.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57It's got to be unique.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01The bloke churning out this fake art clearly had difficulty
0:34:01 > 0:34:05understanding that concept, as he faked the same image twice.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09It's ridiculous to think that he could even feel
0:34:09 > 0:34:11he could get away with it.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13His forging days were numbered,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16as Claudia and Ashley reported the fakes to the police,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19and the fraudster was swiftly collared and given a caution
0:34:19 > 0:34:24along with a lifetime ban from eBay to stop him selling any more fakes.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27So when somebody says this is a faceless crime,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30or a victimless crime, they're wrong. Totally wrong.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Because this person isn't just stealing his artwork
0:34:33 > 0:34:35and his name, he's stealing his life.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37And he's not the only thief.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40The more popular Ashley Jackson has become,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43the more fakes he's seen in circulation.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45We get a lot of people coming to the gallery and saying,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47"I've got an Ashley Jackson."
0:34:47 > 0:34:50And I look at it, I'm sorry, sir, it ain't an Ashley Jackson,
0:34:50 > 0:34:54because mine's got soul in it. That has got money in it.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58Unfortunately the internet is awash with fake artwork.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02Aubrey Dawson doesn't have to look far to find some suspect paintings,
0:35:02 > 0:35:05and the usual array of tricks the fraudsters use to convince you
0:35:05 > 0:35:07that the artwork is real.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12So here we've got a lithograph by the really popular artist, Marc Chagall.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15An original would go for around £3,000.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18This seller's got a trick up his sleeve
0:35:18 > 0:35:20to try and shift a shifty fake.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23With it comes a little certificate of authenticity
0:35:23 > 0:35:27from the National Art Guild, signed by a chap called George Kopel.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31Looks very official. Looks very authentic.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33This would give you confidence.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35Certificates of authenticity,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38along with a documented history known in the trade as provenance,
0:35:38 > 0:35:41are the two main ways in which a buyer can feel confident
0:35:41 > 0:35:45that a piece of art is genuine, unless of course THEY are fake.
0:35:45 > 0:35:46I've done a bit of research
0:35:46 > 0:35:49and the National Art Guild doesn't appear to exist,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52and either does this chap George Kopel. An out-and-out fake.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57So by attaching the certificate of authenticity,
0:35:57 > 0:36:02the seller is trying to give a buyer confidence, trying to make him think
0:36:02 > 0:36:05that this is a real picture, it's been seen by an expert,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08it's definitely genuine, it's definitely legitimate.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09It's an out-and-out fake.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12But it isn't the only move that a faker will use
0:36:12 > 0:36:15to pin you to a canvas.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19Today Aubrey's off to meet author and lecturer Dr Richard Howells,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22whose fascination with the fakes inspired him to purchase
0:36:22 > 0:36:27a stack of artwork by the most faked British artist, LS Lowry.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29- Aubrey!- Richard, nice to see you.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32- Come and have a look at these dodgy Lowrys.- Let's go and have a look.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38Over the last five years, Richard's bought around 25 or so
0:36:38 > 0:36:43fake sketches online, sold as being by the great late Lowry.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46And there are a number of different ways the fraudsters make these fakes
0:36:46 > 0:36:48look like genuine artwork.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51Some of these look very artificially aged.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53I think you're spot on the money there.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56- I mean, let's have a little look at this one here.- Ah, yeah.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59- That's a winner.- So we've got a nice little industrial scene
0:36:59 > 0:37:03with the tall chimneys, and what looks like some Earl Grey.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05- Yeah!- That's been...
0:37:06 > 0:37:10So, the fakers use the classic "let's make it look old" trick.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13If you look closely, though, there are some subtle mistakes.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16If you have a closer look, you can actually see a little bit
0:37:16 > 0:37:18of the original white paper there
0:37:18 > 0:37:20- where they haven't quite got all the staining.- Oh, yes!
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Absolutely, because this has been stuck on, hasn't it?
0:37:23 > 0:37:26This is just a modern, crisp bit of A4 paper.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28Now, Lowry was notorious for producing sketches
0:37:28 > 0:37:32on anything from scraps of paper to restaurant napkins.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36It's estimated there are around 8,000 genuine Lowry sketches
0:37:36 > 0:37:40in existence. So taking full advantage of this,
0:37:40 > 0:37:42some of the fake art producers will go one step further
0:37:42 > 0:37:46to convince you it was the work of the great man himself.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48If we turn it over... It is quite possible
0:37:48 > 0:37:50- that Lowry would have owned books like this.- Yes.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53So in your fantasy scenario, you're just picturing Lowry sitting there
0:37:53 > 0:37:56in his living room, reading the book, and then going,
0:37:56 > 0:37:57- "I have an idea."- That's right.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00It's plausible, it's telling what you want to hear, isn't it?
0:38:00 > 0:38:02But the materials are only half the battle.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04If a fake is to sell well,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07it needs a good, old-fashioned story to go with it.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11When you've bought some of these pictures, how are they described?
0:38:11 > 0:38:16The standard pitch would be, "This was an old attic find in Salford."
0:38:16 > 0:38:20"This turned up at a car-boot sale in Greater Manchester."
0:38:20 > 0:38:24So the pieces purport to have been found in or near Salford,
0:38:24 > 0:38:28which is where Lowry lived, to further convince you it's for real.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30They are very clever,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33- because they plant a little seed of hope in your mind.- Yes.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35"It was found in Manchester,"
0:38:35 > 0:38:39- some sort of link to Salford in the 1950s, the 1960s.- Yeah.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41I mean, all these poor attics around the country.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45They must be groaning under the weight of these things. Absolutely.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47By faking the pictures' provenance,
0:38:47 > 0:38:48or at least dangling the carrot
0:38:48 > 0:38:51that you could be about to pick up an undiscovered gem,
0:38:51 > 0:38:53all that fakers are really trying to do
0:38:53 > 0:38:55is get their mitts on your money.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59I've seen fakes exactly like this sold, and they're sold for big money.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03- They're sold for £500, £1,000, £2,000.- Whoa.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Richard may have bought his for fun,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08but for anyone else thinking about buying artwork online, be warned.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11Your Manet may not be worth much MONET.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23Earlier we saw how Scotch whisky has fallen foul of the fakers.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26It's not just the modern whiskies.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30In Blackpool, online whisky auctioneer Angus MacRaild
0:39:30 > 0:39:36deals in rare vintage whiskies, a commodity that's in great demand.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Whisky in general, particularly malt whiskies and vintage malt whiskies,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41in the last few years at auctions have been getting
0:39:41 > 0:39:44increasingly more valuable. Prices are going up all the time.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47It's a problem now that, as more money comes into more whisky,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50certainly on the secondary market, the auction market,
0:39:50 > 0:39:51then more fake bottles appear.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55Now, it's common for some genuinely old bottles to fetch
0:39:55 > 0:39:59thousands of pounds at auction. Some even tens of thousands.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03But there are fakers out there buying empty antique bottles
0:40:03 > 0:40:06and refilling them with a modern liquid.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09And as a result, collectors up and down the country
0:40:09 > 0:40:11are getting duped into buying what they think
0:40:11 > 0:40:13is a bottle of liquid history,
0:40:13 > 0:40:17but turns out to be nothing more than a worthless fake.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21I'll give you a couple of examples. We've got here a few Macallans.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25This one here, we know this is a fake.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27But to the outward eye, it looks OK.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30The untrained eye might just see that and think,
0:40:30 > 0:40:32"It's a bottle of whisky, a bottle of Macallan, it's fine."
0:40:32 > 0:40:35But for an eagle-eyed auctioneer like Angus,
0:40:35 > 0:40:39there are a few telltale signs that the bottle's been refilled.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41First of all, the capsule looks pretty shoddy.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43It looks like it's been reworked to some extent.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45That's a really telltale sign,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49because normally on capsules, they should be very tight, very clean.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54That's the genuine version there.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56So you can see the capsule's much cleaner,
0:40:56 > 0:40:58the whole bottle is much cleaner.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00So the capsules have been put back on
0:41:00 > 0:41:04to give the appearance that the fake bottle has never been opened.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07It's not the only way to spot the fakes.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09If you give it a shake,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12you get this froth that just sits there.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15The froth, or beading, as it's known in the trade,
0:41:15 > 0:41:19indicates how strong the liquid inside the whisky bottle is.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22But when Angus compares the real one to the fake,
0:41:22 > 0:41:24it's pretty obvious which is which.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26You give them both a shake,
0:41:26 > 0:41:30and you notice immediately the differences.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31The beading here dies down
0:41:31 > 0:41:33in concurrence with the 43% alcohol whisky.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36This... Who knows?
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Maybe it's single cask washing-up liquid, I don't know.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40But it's not the real deal.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44Being a fake, it's worth a couple of quid at most.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47If it was genuine, it would fetch around £700.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51But the effect is not just on the price of the whisky.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54In the last few years, Angus has noticed
0:41:54 > 0:41:57as the number of fake refilled bottles has gone up,
0:41:57 > 0:42:01so has the price for genuine empty bottles.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Here's an empty bottle of Macallan Private Eye
0:42:04 > 0:42:05which is being sold online.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09And the price that's being asked is £199.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13200 quid for an empty bottle does seem a touch steep.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16But if you scroll through the elaborate photo gallery,
0:42:16 > 0:42:17and description,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20you'll find a rather interesting sales pitch.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23"Bottle is empty. £1,500 when full.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26"Check out Bonhams auction," or something.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28If you click the link, lo and behold, you'll find
0:42:28 > 0:42:33a recent sale at auction, where a full bottle fetched £1,500.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36It's clear that they know what someone who buys it
0:42:36 > 0:42:38is probably going to do with it. Refill it.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40£199 buys you an empty one,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43and if you've got the means to refill it and reseal it,
0:42:43 > 0:42:45then there's definite motivation there
0:42:45 > 0:42:49for people to go and fake a bottle and make money on it.
0:42:49 > 0:42:50Terrible.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.