0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Police! Don't move!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- Get down! Get down! - Get 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 > 0:00:36In this series, I'll be revealing the counterfeits, copies
0:00:36 > 0:00:40and cons that are flooding the market, fooling the public,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43making money for the criminals and maybe even putting you in danger.
0:00:43 > 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 > 0:00:55And we'll be showing you how to avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56Today on Fake Britain,
0:00:56 > 0:01:01the fake safety marks on some of the UK's biggest e-cigarette brands.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I expect to buy something, plug it in and it works,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08not to go through the hell that I've been through.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11The counterfeit hair curler that's too dangerous to use.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14There was no release function on it. The hair was completely
0:01:14 > 0:01:17jammed inside. It's 210 degrees, it heats up to.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18It was touching my scalp.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22The fake dental drills destined for British surgeries.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25You have something the dentist will be using in your mouth that
0:01:25 > 0:01:27could break apart and you could swallow bits.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32And the Star Wars toy collectors fooled into paying for fakes.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36I had a run of 16 of these, Palitoy Return Of The Jedi cards.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Every single one of them was made by the faker in question.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43For many smokers, stubbing out the habit isn't easy.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Some say this product, the e-cigarette, is helping them
0:01:46 > 0:01:48give up or cut down.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Well, we all know about the health issues associated with
0:01:52 > 0:01:55cigarette smoking, but Fake Britain has discovered that some
0:01:55 > 0:02:00e-cigarettes could be harmful in an entirely different way.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04E-cigarettes, as the name suggests, are an electronic product.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07The battery has to be recharged to use it.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11This certificate states that the brand named on it is safe to use,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13but the certificates are fake.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16The product named may not be safe.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And that's just the start of the story.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22The number of people using e-cigarettes
0:02:22 > 0:02:24has tripled in the last two years.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Currently, 2.1 million of us are using the devices.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31The manufacturers of e-cigs claim their products are free of
0:02:31 > 0:02:36many of the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes or rolling tobacco.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39The devices are credited by some people with helping them
0:02:39 > 0:02:41to quit smoking.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45E-cigarettes are electronic and need to be frequently charged.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Users do this in much the same way as you charge a mobile phone.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50And that's where the problem starts.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54This barmaid narrowly escaped a serious injury
0:02:54 > 0:02:58when an e-cig being recharged exploded.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Nationwide, dozens of house fires have been
0:03:05 > 0:03:08started by e-cigarettes, including a recent fatality in Liverpool.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Many of the most popular e-cigarette brands have this safety mark
0:03:13 > 0:03:15on the back of the packet.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Now, SGS is one of the world's biggest test houses and they certify
0:03:19 > 0:03:23thousands of different products, from bicycles to dishwashers.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26So this mark should be reassuring.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28So you might have thought.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36Aged just 43, Tracy Joiner suffered a heart attack
0:03:36 > 0:03:39and was advised to give up smoking immediately.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Tracy knew she had to find a way to kick the habit,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44but quitting proved tough.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47I was lying awake at night, craving still for a cigarette.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49She turned to e-cigs,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53believing them to be a healthier option than tobacco.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57I found these e-cigarettes and to me it was like a godsend.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02One day, Tracy needed a new e-cigarette,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06so she drove to a nearby newsagent and bought a popular brand.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12My local newsagents had actually got this e-cigarette in.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15I thought, yeah, I've heard of that make,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19it's meant to be a good make, so I paid me £20, got me e-cigarette,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23and I came home that night and charged it up.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Following the instructions on the packaging,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Tracy charged up her e-cig with the USB connecter provided with the kit.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33And then she went to bed.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37But, an hour later, she was woken up by a burning sensation in her foot.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Me foot were hanging off the edge of the bed,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42where the bed frame was on fire.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46I turned on the light and me bedroom were going up in flames.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50I just ran to the bathroom, got the bath tap running,
0:04:50 > 0:04:51just chucking water everywhere.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Tried to put the flames out and then I rang the fire brigade.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Tracy managed to put out the fire, but not before flames
0:04:58 > 0:05:01from the burning bed had spread through her home.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04This room were gutted, the landing, the bathroom...
0:05:04 > 0:05:08- Fortunately, Tracy was able to act quickly.- I was very lucky.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13The fire brigade said the smoke would have got me, if not the flames.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15I was lucky to get out alive.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21The local Fire and Rescue team investigated the cause of the fire
0:05:21 > 0:05:24and confirmed that the device Tracy purchased
0:05:24 > 0:05:28was from an established brand, which was sold nationwide.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Tracy had used the device as directed by the instructions.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Like many e-cig brands available at newsagents,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40garages and supermarkets across the UK,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44the packaging on Tracy's device stated it had been tested by SGS.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50SGS is an international test house which tests and certifies
0:05:50 > 0:05:53hundreds of household products every year.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57And their mark indicates the product has been assessed
0:05:57 > 0:05:59and approved by safety specialists.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02It's a guarantee of quality, which assures retailers,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05from local shops to our biggest supermarkets,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09that they're selling a safe and rigorously tested product.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13But Steve Elliott, head of corporate security at SGS,
0:06:13 > 0:06:14has a shocking revelation.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19One of the very few products that we do not test
0:06:19 > 0:06:21just so happens to be electronic cigarettes,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24and we've made that decision globally.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26We've decided not to be involved in that market.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29We don't test any electronic cigarettes
0:06:29 > 0:06:32anywhere in the world, so it is very clear to us where we
0:06:32 > 0:06:36see our name appearing on packaging and where it appears that those
0:06:36 > 0:06:40products have been tested by us, that advertising is false.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44SGS were so horrified to see their safety marking being
0:06:44 > 0:06:47abused in this way that they hired Lela Baumer,
0:06:47 > 0:06:51a researcher specialising in online fraud, to investigate.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Lela started by examining adverts on Chinese websites,
0:06:55 > 0:07:00which were falsely stating their e-cig was SGS approved.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03The scale of what she found was astonishing.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05It was enormous.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08It was the biggest case we've ever had and ever seen.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11It was millions of ads, literally millions of ads.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13We've taken down millions of ads.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17There's still some out there with e-cigarettes referring to SGS,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19but we're getting there.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22These websites were selling consignments of e-cigs
0:07:22 > 0:07:26to retailers across the world, including here in the UK.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30When we get the physical products being sold in the UK,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34we can see the same SGS logo on the packaging, which is scary,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37because then it's not only referring in the text in the ad,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39it's actually on the product, as well.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43And, when Lela delved further, she found Chinese manufacturers
0:07:43 > 0:07:47had actually been creating fake SGS safety certificates.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Here's some examples of certificates that are fake.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Companies selling e-cigarettes on these sites are using these
0:07:55 > 0:07:57kind of certificates.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00We sometimes even find the same certificate being used
0:08:00 > 0:08:01over and over again.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04SGS checked and quickly confirmed Lela's findings.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08What I have here is a genuine SGS certificate. This is a blank one.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11We haven't yet printed the results of the inspection onto it,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14but this certificate has several security features on it.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17The security features are similar to those on a bank note.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20When we're asked to confirm whether a certificate is genuine or not,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23we will start by looking for those security features,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26before we then go to the trader and ask them to prove
0:08:26 > 0:08:29that they were actually subject to an SGS inspection.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31What I also have here is another certificate,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34this one relates to an electronic cigarette product.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36This certificate is not genuine.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38It appears to be genuine, but it's not.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42The security features on here do not match the security features
0:08:42 > 0:08:45on our genuine certificate and the content itself,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48when we've gone out and checked the content, the content is not true.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50So, this is a fake one,
0:08:50 > 0:08:51this is a genuine one.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Clearly, it's the explosive potential of e-cigs
0:08:57 > 0:09:01which makes the use of a fake safety mark so alarming.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06While fires from real cigarettes remain by some distance
0:09:06 > 0:09:09the most likely cause of a house fire, the Fire and Rescue service
0:09:09 > 0:09:13are increasingly concerned about the dangers of e-cigs.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Mark Hazelton is reviewing the service's national policy
0:09:18 > 0:09:22on e-cigarettes and he's alarmed by the number of incidents nationwide.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23There have now been 70 fires
0:09:23 > 0:09:26attributed to these e-smoking products.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29We know 11 of those have resulted in injuries
0:09:29 > 0:09:31and we know there has now been one fire fatality.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34And the explosion at Tracy's house
0:09:34 > 0:09:37is typical of many of the cases that Mark knows about.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40When a lithium battery catches fire, it's like a firework.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44It heats up and then fires a cone of hot embers two or three feet
0:09:44 > 0:09:45away from the original device.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47So, you've got a hotspot where the device is
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and then that hot spray of embers can go forward,
0:09:50 > 0:09:52and that can catch carpet, can catch furniture,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54it can catch bedding - anything that's in its path.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Electrical safety expert Steve Curtler has spent months
0:09:58 > 0:10:02investigating why e-cigs are exploding.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Steve's convinced that substandard batteries
0:10:04 > 0:10:07are a significant part of the problem.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10When the batteries are substandard,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12it hasn't got the protection circuits,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15anything slightly higher than what they should be charged at
0:10:15 > 0:10:17can overheat the battery and cause an explosion.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21As with other electronic rechargeable devices,
0:10:21 > 0:10:25e-cigs are built to cut out when they're fully charged.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26It's a simple safety feature
0:10:26 > 0:10:29which stops electronic products from overcharging.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Recently, Steve ran a safety test on a battery
0:10:32 > 0:10:37which came from an e-cig kit with a fake SGS safety marking on it,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39and this was the result.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44As you can see, the battery itself has completely disintegrated.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49It was launched out of the cap that holds the battery like a firework.
0:10:49 > 0:10:50If it goes off in your house,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53whatever it comes into contact with, combustible materials,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56it's just going to set light to it, so you've got no chance.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00For Steve, use of the SGS safety mark on products
0:11:00 > 0:11:05which could contain substandard circuitry is deeply disturbing.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09It's extremely alarming to see product safety marks
0:11:09 > 0:11:11being used in that way.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Consumers rely on them, retailers rely on them
0:11:14 > 0:11:17to say that a product is safe.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19The public need to be able to rely on the safety standards
0:11:19 > 0:11:22that all of us have worked really hard to establish
0:11:22 > 0:11:25and make sure they can go into any shop and buy a product that's safe.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Understandably, Steve Elliot at SGS
0:11:28 > 0:11:31wants to see the products taken off the shelves.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Where they claim to have been checked by us and they're not
0:11:34 > 0:11:37then we don't think those products should be on the shelf.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39We don't think consumers should be misled,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41and we think whatever appears on the shelf,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43should be what it claims to be.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47We informed ECITA, the industry association
0:11:47 > 0:11:52which represents several major e-cig brands, about our findings.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56We found one of their members was misusing the SGS safety mark.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02The association president is Katherine Devlin.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04It may well be appropriate for products to be withdrawn
0:12:04 > 0:12:07from the market on the basis that they're misleading consumers
0:12:07 > 0:12:10by having that mark applied inappropriately.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12With our own members we should be seeking to make sure
0:12:12 > 0:12:15that none of them are using the mark. If they are found to be doing so
0:12:15 > 0:12:17then we will be expecting those products to be withdrawn.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21The e-cig brands which aren't part of the association
0:12:21 > 0:12:24will be contacted directly by SGS.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29But, for Tracey and dozens of other e-cig users,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31these changes have come too late.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Understandably, Tracey remains angry about the fakery
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and the danger it exposed her to.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40I expect to buy something, plug it in, and it works.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Not to go through the hell that I've just been through.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I thought I was paying good money for a good product.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47I didn't expect that.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57The British beauty business is estimated to be worth £17 billion
0:12:57 > 0:13:01and it employs a million people here in the UK.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03So, when a new product hits the shelves,
0:13:03 > 0:13:08often the fakers aren't far behind because there's money to be made.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12At first glance, this looks like the latest hair-care product.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16It says it uses pioneering technology to create curls,
0:13:16 > 0:13:20but put your hair in this and you might not get it back again.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22It's a fake and, as we've discovered,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24it's also very dangerous.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Previously on Fake Britain,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32we've seen popular beauty products being targeted by the fakers.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Industry experts believe this ghd hair straightener
0:13:36 > 0:13:40is the most frequently faked hairstyling product of all time.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43That might be about to change.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45Launched with a glossy marketing campaign,
0:13:45 > 0:13:47BaByliss's new hair curling product
0:13:47 > 0:13:51soon attracted the attention of China's counterfeiters.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55The curler retails at around £120
0:13:55 > 0:13:57and inside the product is a microchip
0:13:57 > 0:14:00which, the company claims, can detect the exact point
0:14:00 > 0:14:03at which the gathered hair should be released.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Ian Nuttall, MD at BaByliss,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11invested hundreds of thousands of pounds to make sure the product,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15which can reach temperatures of over 200 degrees, was safe.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20We spent almost five years getting the technology right.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25This is what I would call probably one of the first smart products
0:14:25 > 0:14:28within the hair-care market, and the software that's gone into that
0:14:28 > 0:14:33to be able to ensure that the safety aspects are second to none
0:14:33 > 0:14:37took a lot of development time to be able to ensure that we got it right.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41The company was delighted with early sales,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44but soon the customer services team
0:14:44 > 0:14:48began receiving dozens of complaints about faulty items.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50The product had been faked.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Around the time BaByliss first learnt
0:14:55 > 0:14:57that its curler was being faked,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Lorraine Morgan, a senior nurse from Fife in Scotland,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03was searching for a gift for her twin daughters.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08This thing was advertised on the TV which looks fantastic.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10The girls at the time, my twin daughters, who are 13,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13were right into curling their hair cos that's the fashion at the moment.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15But it was already mid-December,
0:15:15 > 0:15:20so Lorraine and her mum didn't have long to get hold of a Curl Secret.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21It was really close to Christmas
0:15:21 > 0:15:23so I didn't think there would be any left,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25so my mum had looked online and she checked eBay
0:15:25 > 0:15:27and, because we've both used eBay in the past,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29we didn't think there would be a problem.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32And there was quite a few people selling on eBay,
0:15:32 > 0:15:33but this one chap had six products left.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36eBay have stars and they tell you if it's a good seller or not,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38and he was a good seller.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40So that's why we chose him.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44'It arrived within two days.'
0:15:44 > 0:15:45Package for you.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49'So it arrived in plenty of time for Christmas.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51'We've got lots of BaByliss products in the house
0:15:51 > 0:15:54'and it looked completely authentic.'
0:15:54 > 0:15:57When the time finally came to open presents,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Lorraine's twin daughters were thrilled with their gift.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Because it was quite an expensive product
0:16:02 > 0:16:06they weren't expecting to get this, so they were ecstatic.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09And they couldn't wait to try it out on Mum.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12And they both wanted to have a shot at the same time
0:16:12 > 0:16:13so we used me as the model,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17so they could both have a go and practice making the curls.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20The first curl came out OK,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22but then something went horribly wrong.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25It didn't do anything. It didn't release my hair.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27The first one had come out quite freely
0:16:27 > 0:16:29and this just didn't come out.
0:16:29 > 0:16:30So I just gave it a gentle tug
0:16:30 > 0:16:33and didn't realise there was a problem and it just didn't come out.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35It was completely jammed.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38The girls are 13, so one of them was holding it
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and her wrist went down a little bit and it touched my head,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43so it burnt my scalp,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46and she was, at the same time, trying to get the hair out.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Her sister got upset and she ran away,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52so my sister came to help and they just couldn't get the hair out.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55So, they switched it off at the plug to cool it down
0:16:55 > 0:16:58and then spent about 40 minutes trying to detangle,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00because it was such a big section of hair.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Obviously, I was going to have a bald patch.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04By this time it was really, really painful
0:17:04 > 0:17:06because the weight of this was hanging from my head.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08In the end I cut my hair off.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12In addition to suffering a serious burn,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Lorraine's Christmas celebrations came to an abrupt halt.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Well, it ruined the night because my mum was sitting there upset
0:17:19 > 0:17:21because her granddaughters were upset,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24feeling it was her fault because she'd bought the faulty products.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27I was a bit upset as well, and the twins were a bit traumatised,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30so they just went up to their room after that.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35The following day Lorraine called the BaByliss customer hotline.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Good afternoon, BaByliss UK. Jenny speaking. How can I help?
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Do you know which curlers it is that she's bought?
0:17:41 > 0:17:42As soon as I started to tell the story,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44she said straightaway it was counterfeit.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48She quickly said could I post it back to them, which I then did.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53The fake curler including the trapped lock of Lorraine's hair
0:17:53 > 0:17:56was sent to John Morrell, head of technical services at BaByliss.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00It proved to be one of dozens of fakes sent to the company.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Prior to Christmas, John was receiving as many as six a day.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10We asked John to show us how both the fake and the real product work.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13We've taken a genuine, we've cut away the top,
0:18:13 > 0:18:15so you can see the action inside.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18And we're going to apply plenty of hair and a lot of tension,
0:18:18 > 0:18:19just squeeze,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21- BUZZING SOUND - and the hair gets pulled in
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and forms a curl over the heater.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26BEEPING
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Then release for a perfect curl.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Now, that's achieved via electronics within the product,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39a microchip that is programmed to instantly detect
0:18:39 > 0:18:43the tension in the hair and reverse the motor.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46On the fake product, that just does not happen.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49We put the same piece of hair in, we squeeze,
0:18:49 > 0:18:50WHIRRING SOUND
0:18:50 > 0:18:52it just keeps pulling and pulling and pulling.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56You see? The hair's been pulled in all the time.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00And is now completely caught.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02The only way to get that hair out now
0:19:02 > 0:19:04is to cut it off the way that Mrs Morgan had to.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Lorraine's mum never got back
0:19:09 > 0:19:12the £90 she spent on the fake curler
0:19:12 > 0:19:14and, while the Morgan's Christmas was ruined,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Lorraine remains thankful the situation wasn't even more serious.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21It was very, very painful.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24So for a child to endure a burn like that,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27I was greatly relieved it was myself and not one of the girls.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Later, we'll discover how these fakers
0:19:29 > 0:19:32get the curlers into the country.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40No-one enjoys it,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42but thousands of us face it every week -
0:19:42 > 0:19:45it's the dreaded dentist's drill.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48We trust our dentists, they're highly qualified
0:19:48 > 0:19:51and they'll no doubt be using the latest professional equipment,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53just like these drills.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56They were bought by an unsuspecting British dentist,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59but fortunately were never used on a patient.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01They're fake and, as we discovered,
0:20:01 > 0:20:06they shouldn't get anywhere near anyone's teeth.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10The dental tools market here in the UK
0:20:10 > 0:20:13is thought to be worth over £500 million every year.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16And where there's serious money to be made,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18of course, the fakers aren't far behind.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20As we've seen previously on Fake Britain,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22counterfeit dental equipment
0:20:22 > 0:20:24has found its way into British surgeries,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26with frightening consequences.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30These fake lights used to set fillings could harm teeth
0:20:30 > 0:20:33and this counterfeit hand-held X-ray machine
0:20:33 > 0:20:35emits harmful levels of radiation.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38But, for the first time,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42dental drills are being targeted by the fakers.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45And Danny Lee-Frost from the MHRA,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52recently discovered how dentists are being duped
0:20:52 > 0:20:54when they buy these drills online.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59These were purchased by a dentist from a Chinese-based website,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02he thought he was buying from a UK-based website,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04used them in his practice.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Clearly, these drills look convincing.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09This is a very sophisticated product.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11They are substantial in weight,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13it's a very high degree of machine tooling involved,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15they're highly polished, so they look the part.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18If a dentist ordered these over the internet
0:21:18 > 0:21:21thinking he was buying the genuine and these arrived in a parcel,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24there'd be no way you could tell these weren't genuine
0:21:24 > 0:21:25until he started using them
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and then the problems would start to occur.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31The issues with the product started almost immediately.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33They didn't work correctly,
0:21:33 > 0:21:37so the dentist assumed they needed a repair.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40He contacted NSK, who manufacture the drills.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45So he sent them to the genuine manufacturer,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48who quite rightly said, "These aren't ours, we didn't make these."
0:21:48 > 0:21:52We were then notified and an investigation started from there.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56It's the level of sophistication being employed by the fakers
0:21:56 > 0:21:57that alarms Danny.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59The dentist was completely unaware.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01He thought he was buying the genuine product,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03obviously he was looking for the genuine product,
0:22:03 > 0:22:07the website was advertising what he thought was the genuine product,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10he was completely taken in, completely taken unawares.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12But this dentist wasn't alone.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15The MHRA had several reports of counterfeit drills
0:22:15 > 0:22:18just like this one being bought by dentists.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23In one case, the drill fell apart in the patient's mouth, mid-surgery.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25That does fill us with some alarm,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28that there were other dentists out there doing the same thing,
0:22:28 > 0:22:33albeit unwittingly, using fake, counterfeit equipment on patients.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Soon after the NSK fakes emerged,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40a more complex case involving a British supplier of dental equipment
0:22:40 > 0:22:43came to the MHRA's attention.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46A British company visiting overseas trade events
0:22:46 > 0:22:52was duped into buying an unlicensed, untested product.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56So, what we've have got here are a couple of brochures
0:22:56 > 0:22:59from Chinese manufacturers of dental medical appointment.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02And what would happen is UK medical supply companies
0:23:02 > 0:23:06will attend trade fairs in China, for example,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08be approached by these types of manufacturers
0:23:08 > 0:23:13who will offer to manufacture these dental drills and other components,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17but put the supply company's details and branding on the product.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19So, when they're imported into the UK,
0:23:19 > 0:23:24essentially, it is now a branded product for that supply company.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28The manufacturer will also supply the CE-marked certificate,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30to show that it's been through a notified body,
0:23:30 > 0:23:31so it's got EU approval,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35it's been tested and meets all the quality standards
0:23:35 > 0:23:37for a dental product.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Any supplier of dental devices to the UK market
0:23:40 > 0:23:44will need to see a certificate stating the product has been tested
0:23:44 > 0:23:46and meets required safety standards.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49In this case, the British company was given a certificate.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51But it was a fake.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55It purports to be from a European approval body based in Germany.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59To our investigator, one glance at this said that it was counterfeit.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02There were too many mistakes on this certificate.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06But the medical supplies company who bought the products,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09had them shipped to the UK and supplied with this certificate,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13they think everything's fine and as it should be.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17It's the first time the MHRA have discovered fake certificates
0:24:17 > 0:24:21being used to dupe British companies into buying untested
0:24:21 > 0:24:24and unapproved dental equipment.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Fortunately, the MHRA acted quickly
0:24:27 > 0:24:30and seized over 300 of these unapproved drills
0:24:30 > 0:24:34days before they were to be sent out to dentists across the UK.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37However, the MHRA fear British dentists
0:24:37 > 0:24:41could still be fooled into buying the NSK counterfeit.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Clearly, these fakes are dangerous.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46They've never been properly tested, until now.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49We asked Professor Damien Walmsley
0:24:49 > 0:24:51at the Birmingham School of Dentistry
0:24:51 > 0:24:54to test the counterfeit drill against a real one.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59I've got two of the hand pieces here.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02An initial glance, they look like the same thing.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04They both have the same markings on.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07It's only when you get to closer inspection
0:25:07 > 0:25:10that you notice that the real one,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13the metal is much sleeker, nicely finished
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and you can tell it's a piece of precision engineering.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18The marking itself,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21it's particularly difficult to work out the difference
0:25:21 > 0:25:23because the marking looks very good.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25If I look at this, they just look very similar.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28The fonts they use is different to the fake,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32but it has numbers, it has the brand, it says where it's from,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36both of them have the same, except they're just orientated differently.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39As a dentist, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43I've shown these fakes around to many people
0:25:43 > 0:25:46and they're just amazed. People who actually service them,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49people within our own hospital looking at them say,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53"That is absolutely amazing. It just looks like the real thing."
0:25:53 > 0:25:57So, the two drills look very similar. How do they perform?
0:25:57 > 0:25:59BUZZING SOUND
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Oh, that's awful. That really is awful!
0:26:01 > 0:26:03That's terrible.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05I keep feeling it loosen as I'm using it.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07I've just had to re-tighten it.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11The whole thing is vibrating itself loose in the patient's mouth.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14This is going to be disastrous if it's used in a patient.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Birmingham School of Dentistry
0:26:16 > 0:26:19have the UK's only scanning laser vibrometer
0:26:19 > 0:26:22capable of testing dental equipment.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24The drills are like a spinning top,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26they're designed to spin around on themselves.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29There shouldn't be any movement side to side with them,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31there should be a perfect spin
0:26:31 > 0:26:34and if there's anything wrong with the machinery or the mechanism of it
0:26:34 > 0:26:38then we know straightaway that there could be problems with the drill.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42First up is a genuine dental drill.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44We can see only a small amount of vibration.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47This scale is quite small on that.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49There is a little bit of side to side motion,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52but it's predominantly working well.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53We're seeing a little bit of side to side,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57but we know the thing is spinning so well that it's not rattling.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00We're looking at rattle, but we don't want that to happen.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04These should be made so precisely that the actual spin
0:27:04 > 0:27:07is right down the length of the shaft of the drill.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Now the laser locks onto the fake.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11HIGH PICHED WHIRRING Wow.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14So much vibration happening with it now.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17It's completely different to the NSK.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19It's actually rattling.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20I suspect what's happening
0:27:20 > 0:27:25is that the whole hand-piece is loosening the more we're using it
0:27:25 > 0:27:27and this would be the loosening in the patient's mouth.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29It's getting worse now.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33What we're finding is that we see a difference,
0:27:33 > 0:27:34so if we look at the bottom graph,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38here it's about 0.2 of a unit of vibration.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40If we come up to the top one,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44we've got from nought to about 60 units of vibration -
0:27:44 > 0:27:47well over a 100-fold difference between the two.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49And what's more worrying
0:27:49 > 0:27:52is this is only an initial recording at the start.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55We had so much vibration it went off the scale
0:27:55 > 0:27:58and therefore it was not able to measure
0:27:58 > 0:28:02the amount of vibration as that fake was working more.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05The difference in performance is colossal.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Professor Walmsley is in no doubt
0:28:07 > 0:28:11about just how dangerous the counterfeit could be.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14They look just like the real drill.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18However, when they're starting to be used in the patient's mouth,
0:28:18 > 0:28:19that's where the danger is.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23They're going to come loose, parts are going to come flying off them,
0:28:23 > 0:28:26and then they could damage the patient's mouth,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29but the worry is if they swallow them or the really serious consequences,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32if they inhale them and they get into the lungs.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34That could be potentially life-threatening.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Earlier, we discovered how a popular new hair curling product
0:28:43 > 0:28:45is being targeted by the fakers.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49It didn't do anything, it didn't release my hair.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53The first one had come out quite freely and this just didn't come out,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56so I just gave it a gentle tug, I didn't realise it was a problem
0:28:56 > 0:28:59and it just didn't come out, it was completely jammed.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Today, John Morrell from BaByliss, the company which makes the curlers,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06has had a call from the Home Office Border Force Team.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10They want him to come to the Langley postal hub near Heathrow.
0:29:10 > 0:29:14They've found some suspicious units that they want us to have a look at.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18We've found fakes in parcels coming in before,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21there's a possibility that these will be, too, so let us see.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Thousands of parcels from all over the world
0:29:27 > 0:29:29come through here every day.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33A small percentage of these are counterfeit, dangerous, or illegal,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36and it's the job of a specialist Border Force team
0:29:36 > 0:29:39to identify these items before they're sent on.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Cindy Carra is the officer in charge today.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47I've got some suspicious packages in this trolley here.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51Um, this item is actually from China, going to Finchley, London.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55I'm just go into X-ray to see what is in the package here.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59And the X-ray machine doesn't lie.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04From the X-ray image I can see packets of cigarettes in here.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13As you can see, the counterfeit cigarettes are from China.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17These cigarettes will actually be seized.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19They are dangerous, because we don't know
0:30:19 > 0:30:22what ingredients have been put in the cigarettes.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25The fakers will often attempt to disguise the item they're sending
0:30:25 > 0:30:28and identifying concealed weapons
0:30:28 > 0:30:31is one of the Border Force's top priorities.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Well, it says tools on it,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37but I'm going to run through the X-ray machine
0:30:37 > 0:30:41just to see a clearer picture of what is actually in these packages.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49If you look at this item,
0:30:49 > 0:30:51you will not even think it's anything offensive,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54but it's actually a disguise.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56If we pull this out,
0:30:57 > 0:30:58people use it like this,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01it's actually an offensive weapon,
0:31:01 > 0:31:03it's not allowed in the UK. we get a lot of this.
0:31:03 > 0:31:04We'll seize this.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06HUMMING SOUND
0:31:08 > 0:31:12If you look at the package, you will think it's a CD.
0:31:12 > 0:31:13But when you open it,
0:31:15 > 0:31:20it just says, "Cardsharp credit card folding safety knife."
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Anybody can put this in their pocket.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29It's sharp, look at that.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Look at that. It's gone through how many papers?
0:31:32 > 0:31:34We get lots of this coming through.
0:31:34 > 0:31:39Rather than end up on our streets, these weapons will be destroyed.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42But today Cindy's asked John Morrell
0:31:42 > 0:31:44to inspect some suspicious items.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Fake BaByliss curlers are amongst
0:31:47 > 0:31:50the Border Force team's most frequent finds.
0:31:50 > 0:31:51This is the latest trend,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53so we're finding a lot of this at the moment,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56so I will actually call the right holders, come and have a look at it.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58We've got four Chinese parcels.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03So, it's a BaByliss Curl Secret, apparently.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09Now, suspicion already,
0:32:09 > 0:32:11- doesn't sound right. - CLICKING
0:32:11 > 0:32:13The lead itself is fake
0:32:13 > 0:32:16and on here is the rating plate -
0:32:16 > 0:32:19should be European, a legal requirement.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21that's an American rating plate.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23That's totally illegal. This is a fake.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29These pins should not be movable
0:32:29 > 0:32:32and I can twist them with my fingers.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36So, that shows that the adapter itself is a fake
0:32:36 > 0:32:37and potentially dangerous.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40This sort of blue covering over the collar
0:32:40 > 0:32:42with BaByliss on there,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45that shows it to be a fake straightaway.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47You'll see instantly it's not the right product...
0:32:49 > 0:32:51..because...
0:32:51 > 0:32:52..it's bright pink.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56Very tacky, just feels...
0:32:56 > 0:32:59poorly made, nothing to do with BaByliss at all.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01This component here is incorrect.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05It looks so fake and, of course, it is.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08All these packages have turned out to contain a fake,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11but they've not come from a single consignment or batch.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15Each package was addressed to an individual British buyer.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17John believes many of these customers
0:33:17 > 0:33:20are buying the product from fake websites,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22which mimic BaByliss's own site.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26This fake website is almost identical to the real one.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Looking at the products we've seen here today,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31they're going to addresses all over the UK.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Likelihood, they've seen them on a website
0:33:34 > 0:33:37that they believe to be real, it looks good, but it's not
0:33:37 > 0:33:39and they're getting fake products
0:33:39 > 0:33:42that are electrically unsafe coming to their home.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Babyliss have now issued a counterfeit warning
0:33:45 > 0:33:49about their hair curlers and advise people only to buy the product
0:33:49 > 0:33:53from reputable retailers and their websites.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04In recent years, vintage toys based on characters in the hugely
0:34:04 > 0:34:08successful Star Wars films have become highly collectable.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12These boxed figures now often sell for hundreds of pounds
0:34:12 > 0:34:15and the very rare ones sell for thousands.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18But there's a disturbance in the world of Star Wars collectables.
0:34:18 > 0:34:24This figure and thousands like it are not what they appear to be.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Dark forces have been at work.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29Is Darth Vader my father?
0:34:30 > 0:34:33George Lucas's iconic Star Wars Trilogy
0:34:33 > 0:34:36spawned a very lucrative line in merchandise.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39The year is 1978
0:34:39 > 0:34:41and Palitoy bring you Star Wars...
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Back in the late '70s, these figures, manufactured
0:34:45 > 0:34:49and marketed by Palitoy, were the best selling toy in the world.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54The action figures fired the imagination of many a wannabe Jedi.
0:34:54 > 0:34:59But these days they've become a much sought-after collectable,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02with a great deal of that demand coming from the generation
0:35:02 > 0:35:03that grew up with the films.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10Jason Smith is one of these collectors.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12Ten years ago, he came across
0:35:12 > 0:35:15his boyhood collection of Star Wars figures again
0:35:15 > 0:35:19and a missing part re-sparked his passion for them.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22It was about ten years ago. I got my original figures
0:35:22 > 0:35:24from when I was visiting my mum and dad
0:35:24 > 0:35:27and noticed that I'd lost the blaster on the Princess Leia
0:35:27 > 0:35:29and thought, "Oh, it would be really nice
0:35:29 > 0:35:31"if I could just have an original blaster."
0:35:31 > 0:35:35So, I went on eBay, bought one figure to get this blaster,
0:35:35 > 0:35:39and then thought, "Oh, the next eight figures that I never got
0:35:39 > 0:35:41"as a kid - wouldn't it be nice just to have those?"
0:35:41 > 0:35:44I then went and bid on those and got those eight figures.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46And that just opened the floodgates.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Jason started by collecting the cardbacks,
0:35:50 > 0:35:52but soon moved on to the boxed figures.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57In time, he amassed one of the largest collections in the galaxy.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Figures in this condition will fetch a stack of galactic credits.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03Prices start at around £200,
0:36:03 > 0:36:07but can go as high as £8,000 for the rarest items.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09But, over the last few years,
0:36:09 > 0:36:13Jason and other collectors noticed increasing numbers
0:36:13 > 0:36:16of high-quality boxed figures coming onto the market.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Gradually, they became suspicious of one prominent seller.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24He had a seemingly endless supply of nice German
0:36:24 > 0:36:28and Palitoy figures to sell and has been selling these for 20 years.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32Through a chance conversation, the small band of collectors
0:36:32 > 0:36:35discovered this document - a sales list.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38Their source was a toy dealer who revealed that, in 1984,
0:36:38 > 0:36:42just as the Palitoy factory in Coalville was being closed down,
0:36:42 > 0:36:45he'd been discreetly offered the contents of the list -
0:36:45 > 0:36:48a job lot of thousands of cardbacks and bubbles.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52The dealer told the collectors he'd decided not to buy the cards,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54but Fake Britain has seen evidence
0:36:54 > 0:36:58that another individual did purchase the list.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02Now, what if original cardbacks and bubbles had been paired
0:37:02 > 0:37:07with second hand repainted figures and then sold as boxed mint figures?
0:37:07 > 0:37:10This would explain the mysterious collector's seemingly
0:37:10 > 0:37:14inexhaustible supply of mint condition figures.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Soon, news came confirming their worst fears.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22He was selling on eBay, through one account,
0:37:22 > 0:37:26large amounts of particular figures and then, on a secret eBay account,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29he kept buying up loose figures for the exact figures
0:37:29 > 0:37:32that he was short, based on what was in the list.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35At that point it looks like a production line.
0:37:35 > 0:37:36You know, they come in one eBay account
0:37:36 > 0:37:39and go out the other one, all assembled.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42The fakery has cost Jason a substantial sum.
0:37:43 > 0:37:49I had a run of 16 of these Palitoy AFA 90 Return Of The Jedi cards.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51As it turns out, every single one of them
0:37:51 > 0:37:52was made by the faker in question.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55I sold them all at that point, got about half my money back.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59Overall, on those cards, I'm probably down about £2,000.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02When selling these cardbacks, Jason had clearly stated
0:38:02 > 0:38:05that the cards he was selling were not true originals.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08As a result, he only got half the price.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11But not every seller is aware they're flogging a fake.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13If you look on eBay any day of the week,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16you'll see a dozen of these things on there
0:38:16 > 0:38:19and maybe half of them have been declared, half of them haven't.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24What isn't in doubt is that the faker has made a lot of money.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27If you make a conservative estimate
0:38:27 > 0:38:31and say he sold each figure for maybe £100,
0:38:31 > 0:38:34and say he sold 100 a year, and he's done it for 20 years,
0:38:34 > 0:38:36that's £20,000 right there.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41Jason and a small group of collectors
0:38:41 > 0:38:45set about identifying the signs of fakery.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49This archive footage from the Palitoy factory provided
0:38:49 > 0:38:52the collectors with a vital clue.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56The bubbles were pressed to the individual boxes by a machine.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59The faker wouldn't have had access to this kind of industrial
0:38:59 > 0:39:03machinery, so the small band of collectors started examining
0:39:03 > 0:39:06the seal on some of the boxed figures in their possession.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10They discovered crude attempts to seal the bubble on to the cardback.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14The most common thing with all the cards that he produced
0:39:14 > 0:39:17is the fact that they're absolutely case fresh.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19The one on the left is a genuine mint on card,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21and the one on the right is from the faker.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25You can see on the back of the card that the genuine one,
0:39:25 > 0:39:27which was pressed in the factory,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30has a bigger indent round the back of the bubble
0:39:30 > 0:39:34on the back of the card than the faker's card, which is flat.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39And some examples within Jason's collection reveal
0:39:39 > 0:39:42evidence of the faker's attempt to seal the bubble to the card.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47So, essentially, we've got here a faker card that's been opened
0:39:47 > 0:39:51and an actual shop-sold card which has been opened.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54With the real card you can see that there's the remnants of the
0:39:54 > 0:39:57shop sticker and you can see that there's a lot more card been
0:39:57 > 0:39:59taken off when the bubble was removed,
0:39:59 > 0:40:01because it was obviously a lot more firmly attached,
0:40:01 > 0:40:04whereas the card on the left from the faker has left
0:40:04 > 0:40:07very little impression when the bubble was taken off.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10And, if you look closely, there's a clue that this card
0:40:10 > 0:40:14was sealed with something other than an industrial machine.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16You can actually see, if you hold it in the light, you can see
0:40:16 > 0:40:18an iron mark going all the way across the card
0:40:18 > 0:40:20where the iron was applied.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29We'll start on the Star Wars first, then. Lot number one.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33Chris Aston is an auctioneer specialising in modern toys
0:40:33 > 0:40:35and Star Wars is his top seller.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37£120, the bid's out, 130...
0:40:37 > 0:40:41With potentially 6,000 or 7,000 faked figures out there,
0:40:41 > 0:40:46hundreds of collectors could be affected by the suspected fakery.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48220 now, looking for 240.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50The bid's here at £220.
0:40:50 > 0:40:51Sold.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57We asked Chris to take a look at the collection of one buyer
0:40:57 > 0:41:00who'd recently been purchasing large numbers online.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Company director John Webb has only been collecting
0:41:04 > 0:41:09Star Wars figures for a short while, but he's amassed quite a collection.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12- Through here.- Wow, fantastic.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15It I take it you're aiming for pretty high quality,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18in terms of condition, and by the looks of it...
0:41:19 > 0:41:22So, we've got an Imperial Stormtrooper.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25- This was bought off eBay. - What's the most you've seen one?
0:41:25 > 0:41:28I've seen some of these go for 250-300, no problem.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31The first thing I'm looking at is the actual seal on the bubble,
0:41:31 > 0:41:33where it's been pressed down.
0:41:33 > 0:41:38We can't really see an imprint from the machine that's pushed it down.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40My inkling is that this is...
0:41:40 > 0:41:42a fake.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Another figure has caught Chris's eye.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49The imprint's definitely, definitely not the same on these figures.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52That's as if someone's just pressed it down hard with their finger.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54It's still definitely worth money.
0:41:54 > 0:41:5750%, maybe 60%, less than it would be
0:41:57 > 0:41:59if it was 100% right.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01It's just one of those things, isn't it?
0:42:01 > 0:42:05It looks like there are definitely two fakes in John's collection.
0:42:05 > 0:42:06Disappointing for him.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Interesting to see them as part of a big collection
0:42:09 > 0:42:11where the vast majority of it is genuine.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14It just shows how somebody can easily be duped.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19It was really useful having Chris come along.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22Clearly, he knows his stuff, he knows a lot about the subject.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24He was able to give me some pointers.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28He's verified that most of the stuff is genuine,
0:42:28 > 0:42:33it's very disappointing that these two particular items may be fakes.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39Dozens of collectors have had to come to terms with sizeable losses
0:42:39 > 0:42:41as a result of the fakery.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45It was the biggest scandal in vintage Star Wars collecting
0:42:45 > 0:42:49that there's ever been and lots of people were furious about it.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51I kind of came to realise that I'd lost, you know,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54thousands of pounds and I was suitably upset about that.
0:42:54 > 0:42:59It kind of tainted the whole collecting hobby for me for a bit.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01But then I came to terms with it,
0:43:01 > 0:43:03I came up with a plan of action and moved on.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.