0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:06 > 0:00:07Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23- Get down! Get down! - Put him on the floor, now!
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Put your hands behind your back, now.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29It's just an ordinary house, it could be anywhere in the country
0:00:29 > 0:00:33but this is the Fake Britain house and it's filled with fakes.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37You may not know it but your home could be too.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38In this series,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40we'll be investigating the criminals trying to
0:00:40 > 0:00:42get their hands on your cash
0:00:42 > 0:00:46by using fraud, forgeries and fakery
0:00:46 > 0:00:50and I'll be showing you how you can avoid being taken for a ride.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Today on Fake Britain...
0:00:55 > 0:00:56Police!
0:00:56 > 0:00:58..we're with the National Crime Agency
0:00:58 > 0:01:02as they crack down on suspected ID fakers.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Please open up or I'll put the door in.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08And we'll discover who's buying fake identities and what happens
0:01:08 > 0:01:10if one of them is yours.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15Somehow these people think I owe £113,000.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20The dark forces selling fake signatures to young Doctor Who fans.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23It's just ridiculous really. It was an abuse of trust.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29And the fake dental tool being sold to British surgeries.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33There is a risk of infection and the patient may lose their tooth.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42This is a real British passport.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43When you're not using yours,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47you'll probably put it away in a drawer and forget all about it.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49But while YOU may not be thinking about it,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53there are criminals who certainly are because stealing one of these,
0:01:53 > 0:01:55even if it means breaking into your home to do it,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58is worth their efforts.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02It's a gateway to the kind of ID crime which, as a nation,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06is now costing us 3.3 billion pounds a year.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Are you convinced you couldn't be a target for the fakers?
0:02:12 > 0:02:16It's 5am and we're in Essex with the National Crime Agency.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20The newly formed agency has a remit to tackle
0:02:20 > 0:02:22serious and organised crime.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Fake Britain has been given exclusive access to the team
0:02:25 > 0:02:28charged with cracking down on identity crime.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32This morning, the arrest team are acting on intelligence
0:02:32 > 0:02:33from the passport office.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Their suspect is thought to have applied for passports and
0:02:39 > 0:02:42driving licences under multiple different names,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44none of which are his own.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Principal officer Lewis Hunt is leading the NCA's drive to
0:02:49 > 0:02:52crack down on the identity fakers.
0:02:52 > 0:02:57There's been multiple identity abuse, not only just passports
0:02:57 > 0:02:59but also driving licences as well.
0:03:00 > 0:03:06And we're obviously keen to secure any evidence that we can find there
0:03:06 > 0:03:09in relation to identity documents.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14This morning's operation is part of the NCA's response to
0:03:14 > 0:03:17a disturbing new trend.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Lewis Hunt believes that the demand for fake identities is fuelling a
0:03:20 > 0:03:25rise in thefts of identity documents from ordinary members of the public.
0:03:25 > 0:03:32We've seen evidence now of people involved in large scale burglaries,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36particularly looking for identity documents.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40And those genuine documents are then being used by serious criminals
0:03:40 > 0:03:43to create the fake identities
0:03:43 > 0:03:45which will be used for a range of criminal activity.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Everything from complex identity fraud to
0:03:48 > 0:03:51evading travel restrictions.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Terrorists have used them in the past, money launderers,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57drug traffickers,
0:03:57 > 0:04:03even sex offenders to actually travel outside their actual banning orders.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Back in Essex, the arresting team go in.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Their suspect is about to get an unexpected wake-up call.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16KNOCKING ON DOOR
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Hello. Police. NCA. Please open up.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20KNOCKING ON DOOR
0:04:20 > 0:04:23National Crime Agency, please open up or we'll put the door in.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24Please, come on.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25Hello there.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Come down, National Crime Agency.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Eventually the officers are let in.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38We're here to search the premises for identity crime.
0:04:38 > 0:04:39Yeah, thank you.
0:04:41 > 0:04:4420 minutes later, the suspect is taken away for questioning.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48This arrest is part of the National Crime Agency's
0:04:48 > 0:04:50crack down on identity crime.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Fake Britain has followed the NCA's efforts
0:04:54 > 0:04:56to bring the ID fakers to justice.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01We were with NCA officers as they made their first arrest of a
0:05:01 > 0:05:05suspected seller of fake identity documents here in the North West.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10So far the NCA have arrested dozens of suspects
0:05:10 > 0:05:13and seized hundreds of fake ID documents
0:05:13 > 0:05:17and through these investigations, the NCA has learnt how criminals
0:05:17 > 0:05:21are stealing people's identities and applying for genuine IDs.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Suddenly they've got a genuine document that has been
0:05:27 > 0:05:29fraudulently obtained.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Back in Essex and an hour into the search of the house,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38the arresting officer senior officer Andy Guy begins to
0:05:38 > 0:05:42suspect there may be more than one faker in the house.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43A marriage certificate
0:05:43 > 0:05:48and evidence of a previous identity under a different name is found.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Let's go.
0:05:51 > 0:05:52Just come.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It's enough for them to want to question the woman further
0:05:55 > 0:05:56and she's arrested.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58OK, then, in you go.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02She seemed to be a different person with P45s
0:06:02 > 0:06:04and different identification,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08different documents with regard to the Inland Revenue, HMRC.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Now, there's a completely different identity.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14The search continues for another couple of hours while every
0:06:14 > 0:06:19document within the house is examined for evidence of fakery.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Well, in these bags we've got passports,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24we're got credit cards, we've got driving licences
0:06:24 > 0:06:28and on the phones, we hope to have identity details as well.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34The evidence here will be crucial if the team is to secure convictions.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Now, we're going to interview the man and the woman
0:06:37 > 0:06:42and hopefully we will have enough information to charge today.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49The haul is taken back to base and painstakingly logged.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55- There's your fake marriage certificate, I think.- OK.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Following interviews with the suspects
0:06:57 > 0:06:58and a review of the evidence,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02principal officer Lewis Hunt decides he has enough to hold both
0:07:02 > 0:07:06suspects in custody while the investigations continue.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12He's seen some cases where members of the public don't even realise
0:07:12 > 0:07:17ID documents, such as passports and driving license have been stolen.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19It might well be that you put them in,
0:07:19 > 0:07:24say for the instance, the drawer where all those documents go and
0:07:24 > 0:07:28lo and behold, when you want them for that particular bit of travel,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31you suddenly can't find them and
0:07:31 > 0:07:36they've been taken actually in the burglary as well.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38And his message for all of us is very simple.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Be aware of how important their documents are,
0:07:44 > 0:07:49to actually make sure they safeguard those documents because
0:07:49 > 0:07:55if they're broken into at home, those documents will be taken from them.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Later, we'll meet one man who knows all too well what can happen
0:08:00 > 0:08:03when your ID documents fall into the hands of the fakers.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07I'm totally innocent, I've done nothing wrong and, you know,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10why would I even contemplate remortgaging my property for
0:08:10 > 0:08:12something that I didn't owe?
0:08:19 > 0:08:23It's over 50 years old and a national institution, Doctor Who.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28Now, there have been 12 Doctors in all and in this anniversary
0:08:28 > 0:08:31celebratory book I've got a couple of their signatures.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Not that, that's the Dalek's.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38But look, David Tennant and over the page, Matt Smith.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42As you might expect in the Fake Britain house though, they're fakes
0:08:42 > 0:08:45and we've discovered there is a disturbance
0:08:45 > 0:08:48in the world of the Time Lords autograph hunters.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00Daniel Moore is 18 years old and a self confessed sci-fi geek.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05He's part of a new generation of Doctor Who fans
0:09:05 > 0:09:09and a keen collector of memorabilia and autographs.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I'm a big fan of Doctor Who and Star Wars
0:09:14 > 0:09:18and lots of other sort of sci-fi series.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20I like to meet these people and get autographs.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26This is when I met Billie Piper with my partner Sarah.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29This is a Doctor Who encyclopaedia, it's one of my proudest possessions.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31I've got lots of Doctor Who signatures in here.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38This is Christopher Eccleston and here is Matt Smith.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42But Daniel's love for all things for Doctor Who
0:09:42 > 0:09:45was to cause him a big headache.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48When he was aged just 15, he came into contact with a man
0:09:48 > 0:09:51selling Doctor Who autographs online.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56Over the next two years, Daniel purchased around £850 worth
0:09:56 > 0:09:59of signed memorabilia from this individual.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01I'd bought this book a couple of years ago
0:10:01 > 0:10:05when I was 16 years old, I paid £30 for it thereabouts.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08I bought it because I wanted a piece of Doctor Who memorabilia.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I liked it, I believe they were genuine.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16But little did Daniel know that an investigation
0:10:16 > 0:10:19into the seller's activities was already under way.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Caroline Carter, a Trading Standards officer in Norwich,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28had received a tip-off about an eBay dealer selling fakes.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34We got reports was selling fake autographs on eBay and he was also
0:10:34 > 0:10:38providing little certificates with these autographs
0:10:38 > 0:10:40and photos of stars that were signed,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42saying that they were authentic.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50Caroline asked Gary King, an expert witness in autograph cases,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53to have a look at what was being sold.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56What caught Gary's eye was the number of
0:10:56 > 0:10:58undedicated autographs the dealer was selling.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04In the world of autographs, undedicated signatures, which
0:11:04 > 0:11:08consist of just the celebrity's autograph, are much sought after.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Celebrities will often want to dedicate a signature
0:11:13 > 0:11:16because it removes the option of you selling it on eBay,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19people don't want a dedicated signature,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22undedicated is much more valuable and so that's why they do it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28Sales of undedicated autographs on this scale was certainly
0:11:28 > 0:11:31grounds for suspicion but Caroline Carter would need
0:11:31 > 0:11:35solid proof of fakery before she could act.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39She contacted the BBC team who issue signed photographs
0:11:39 > 0:11:42of the Doctor Who stars and told them of her suspicions.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Together they decided to make a test purchase from the seller
0:11:47 > 0:11:50so they could establish whether the autographs were genuine.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55This envelope actually contained the test purchase that the
0:11:55 > 0:12:00BBC Worldwide did and it contained an image of Karen Gillan,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03one of the Doctor's assistants in Doctor Who.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Miss Gillan examined this photograph
0:12:06 > 0:12:09and said she did not believe it was her autograph.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Caroline's investigation was gathering speed.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Victims were coming forward.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Soon she had a name, Andrew Sullivan.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Caroline applied for a warrant to raid his premises
0:12:24 > 0:12:26for suspected illegal activity.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29What the arrest team were to discover
0:12:29 > 0:12:31staggered everyone involved.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36This is just a small amount of stuff that were
0:12:36 > 0:12:39seized from Mr Sullivan's house.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42The haul they recovered from his house is one of the biggest
0:12:42 > 0:12:44ever seen in a case of this type.
0:12:44 > 0:12:50There was 76 bags of this sort of size of evidence that we seized.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52When you actually look at some of the bags,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54they've got thousands and thousands of photographs that,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58some were signed, some were preparing to be signed,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01some were just literally stored waiting for an order to come through
0:13:01 > 0:13:06so it sort of shows the public how much really was going on here.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09It was certainly not a small scale operation.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12But it's not just the scale of what's here.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Sullivan's attention to detail was crucial in convincing
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Doctor Who fans to part with their cash.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23Also within was a certificate of authenticity which is something,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27to a collector, is something they want desperately to get,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30that adds a lot of money to an item you've bought
0:13:30 > 0:13:32but obviously clearly in this case,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34it just makes a consumer take a decision
0:13:34 > 0:13:38they probably wouldn't have taken, believing totally that it was
0:13:38 > 0:13:41an official piece of memorabilia and it had been signed genuinely.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46However, one of the most damning pieces of evidence was found
0:13:46 > 0:13:49in Sullivan's makeshift waste paper basket.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51This was particularly interesting,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54it's a photograph of the celebrity Kerry Katona.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58It had been ripped into four separate pieces in the bin
0:13:58 > 0:14:03but pieced together, you'll see that it was signed by Jenny Agutter.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Now, this really seemingly proved something was not right
0:14:07 > 0:14:09that was going on within the house.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16The Trading Standards team believes many of Sullivan's customers
0:14:16 > 0:14:19were in their teens when they purchased the fake autographs
0:14:19 > 0:14:21and, sadly, Daniel was one of them.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26We asked Gary King to take a closer look at the autographs
0:14:26 > 0:14:28that were sold to Daniel.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30This "Karen" is wrong,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34it starts off at one angle and ends up at another.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39It should slope more to the right, it's starting to come back and
0:14:39 > 0:14:45I suspect that his own handwriting is more upright than Karen Gillan's.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49He's tried to copy Karen's angle and he can't do it.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Well, again, if we look at this "D" in this "David Tennant",
0:14:53 > 0:14:58you can just see some very slight hesitations around that area where
0:14:58 > 0:15:05he's actually drawn the signature rather than done it at any speed.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Whereas David Tennant would do that quite quickly.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11He'd have it over and done with in a couple of seconds.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17Gary believes that Sullivan targeted younger Doctor Who fans.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21I think Sullivan took advantage of this newer generation of fans
0:15:21 > 0:15:24because they're younger and they are very fanatical about the programme
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and once they've got one signature, they'll want another
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and they don't have the same experience as the older fans
0:15:30 > 0:15:34with regard to differentiating between genuine signatures
0:15:34 > 0:15:37and fake signatures and they can very easily get taken in.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Daniel felt betrayed when he discovered the man
0:15:41 > 0:15:46he'd been buying signed memorabilia from was actually selling fakes.
0:15:46 > 0:15:52It was definitely an abuse of trust in the sense of ripping people off.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55I mean, he told me, I spoke to him quite regularly,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59that he had other people he was in regular contact with,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03regular customers, so he was doing this to a lot of people.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Trading Standards believe Sullivan made
0:16:06 > 0:16:09more than £35,000 from his fakery.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14Faced with overwhelming evidence in court, Sullivan pleaded guilty.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Andrew, can you give us a comment on the case?
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Fake Britain caught up with the faker as he arrived
0:16:19 > 0:16:22for sentencing at Norwich Crown Court.
0:16:22 > 0:16:23But he wasn't very chatty.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Is there anything you'd say to the victims?
0:16:26 > 0:16:31Sullivan arrived at the court hoping to avoid prison but the judge,
0:16:31 > 0:16:32citing the scale of his operation,
0:16:32 > 0:16:36gave him a 21 month custodial sentence.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42What do the Doctor's themselves think of this trade
0:16:42 > 0:16:44in fake autographs?
0:16:46 > 0:16:49We put the question to two former Time Lords at the
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Doctor Who 50th anniversary convention.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Well, I didn't know about that. I never thought of that really.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58How can you forge my signature?
0:16:58 > 0:17:03Well, that's appalling. I mean, it's just appalling, it's theft.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Hello!
0:17:04 > 0:17:07'It's really sad to prey on fandom'
0:17:07 > 0:17:10which is people celebrating something.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Daniel has just set up his first home with his girlfriend Sarah
0:17:16 > 0:17:19but he still struggles to understand how a man he thought
0:17:19 > 0:17:23he could trust would turn out to be a faker.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25It's just ridiculous really.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27I guess you can see what draws people into doing these things
0:17:27 > 0:17:32but justice has been served in the end, I guess.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35You know, he might've made all that money, went on holiday,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39you know, did all these things and he's in prison now.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44But Daniel's unfortunate run in with an autograph faker
0:17:44 > 0:17:47hasn't put off his passion for all things Doctor Who.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Just a few weeks after Sullivan's sentencing, Daniel is back out there
0:17:53 > 0:17:58tracking down former Time Lords and, of course, their autographs.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Just met David Tennant so I've just got his autograph,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03the real deal, on this Richard II programme.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05I'm quite happy to have met him in contrast to having bought
0:18:05 > 0:18:07fakes in the past,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10it's quite amazing to meet the real deal, to meet an actual Doctor
0:18:10 > 0:18:13and get him face to face, was quite hectic,
0:18:13 > 0:18:17lots of people but I was at the front, managed to meet him, get
0:18:17 > 0:18:21a photo with him and was very pleased to do that so it's made my day.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Fake Britain has been following the National Crime Agency
0:18:32 > 0:18:35as they crack down on the ID fakers.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38Open up or I'll put the door in. Please, come on.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42The authorities suspect this man was using passport details belonging
0:18:42 > 0:18:47to an innocent member of the public to create fake identities.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50But how do you know when your identity's being faked?
0:18:53 > 0:18:58In 2003, Adrian Richards' family home in east London was burgled
0:18:58 > 0:19:00and his passport was stolen.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Adrian reported the theft and considered the matter closed
0:19:04 > 0:19:08but the burglary was to set off a chain of events of which
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Adrian would be completely unaware until seven years later
0:19:12 > 0:19:14when a letter arrived.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17It arrived on a Saturday morning, registered post,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19my 14-year-old son signed for it.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25The letter was from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
0:19:25 > 0:19:29and it stated that Adrian owed the German tax authorities
0:19:29 > 0:19:34in excess of £113,000 in unpaid VAT.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37It was a real shock, you had to look twice.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42We just couldn't understand why it was us.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47Never done any work in Germany and somehow these people think
0:19:47 > 0:19:50I owe £113,000 in VAT.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Under EU regulations, British tax authorities are duty-bound to
0:19:56 > 0:19:59collect unpaid tax owed by British citizens
0:19:59 > 0:20:03when specific requests are made by other EU states.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Adrian contacted HMRC to clear up the misunderstanding.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12We explained in writing to them and on the phone and still
0:20:12 > 0:20:18we didn't get any recognition from HMRC and we just kept getting
0:20:18 > 0:20:22these letters from the German tax authorities
0:20:22 > 0:20:25requesting to us this huge sum.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27But this was no administrative error.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31The German tax authorities had evidence proving a company
0:20:31 > 0:20:35registered in Adrian's name owed a small fortune in unpaid VAT.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39With the demands for payment becoming ever more insistent,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43Adrian started to fear for his family's future.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46We went from, you know, the belief that it was a simple mistake
0:20:46 > 0:20:51and they've got the wrong person to desperation really.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53Well, the only way I could raise that sort of money is through
0:20:53 > 0:20:57remortgaging my property and I'm totally innocent,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00I've done nothing wrong and you know, why would I even contemplate
0:21:00 > 0:21:04remortgaging my property for something that I didn't owe?
0:21:04 > 0:21:09Then another bombshell arrived again through the post.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Yeah, we were in the middle of trying to resolve the issues with HMRC
0:21:12 > 0:21:13and the German VAT claim
0:21:13 > 0:21:18and we received an interim charging order from solicitors
0:21:18 > 0:21:22acting on behalf of the telephone regulator trying to recover
0:21:22 > 0:21:28a debt of £34,000 for misuse of premium rate telephone numbers.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31In this new demand,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34the British telephone regulators stated that Adrian was being fined
0:21:34 > 0:21:41for breaching codes of practice and he needed to pay a £34,000 fine.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Well, the scam was this premium rate telephone company phone individuals
0:21:45 > 0:21:49and with a recorded message saying, "Help! Help!"
0:21:49 > 0:21:53The line went dead and then the individual would phone back to say,
0:21:53 > 0:21:57"Can I help?" And they got charged an exuberant amount for doing that.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00With this second case,
0:22:00 > 0:22:05Adrian was now facing demands for over £150,000.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07It couldn't just be a coincidence.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12He began to suspect he'd been a victim of a sophisticated scam.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16He decided to fight back and reclaim his identity from the faker.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21We employed a solicitor and during his investigations
0:22:21 > 0:22:25found a copy of this individual's passport.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30I couldn't believe the fact that my passport which, MY passport,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33had my signature on it, my name, my date of birth,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35it didn't have my photograph on it,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37it had somebody else's photograph on.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42And they'd obviously doctored my passport to use for their benefit.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46You just don't believe that somebody else has taken
0:22:46 > 0:22:51and doctored your passport in such a way that it can be used and can be
0:22:51 > 0:22:58passed in banks and institutions to open accounts and start up companies.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03This evidence helped Adrian's solicitor convince the
0:23:03 > 0:23:07telephone regulator that it was a case of ID fakery
0:23:07 > 0:23:09and the case was dropped.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Meanwhile, Adrian was pulling out all the stops to convince
0:23:12 > 0:23:15the HMRC of his innocence.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20We went to our MP and explained the situation to him.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22We appointed a German solicitor.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Adrian had to use £2,000 of his savings to cover
0:23:27 > 0:23:31the cost of the German lawyer but it was money well spent.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36Three months later, he got the news that he'd been waiting for.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40The HMRC believe it's identity fraud and thank God,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42they closed the case which is great news.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48But Adrian's not alone in falling prey to ID fakers.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52In 2013, CIFAS,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55an organisation that tracks fraud in the UK discovered that
0:23:55 > 0:24:01over 100,000 of us had had personal data used to create a fake identity.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04And as in Adrian's case,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07it's a crime that often starts with a burglary.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Faced with a rise in the number of burglaries in their area,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Bedfordshire Police came up with an ingenious operation to
0:24:16 > 0:24:21counter the trade in stolen goods but little did they realise,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24they'd also uncover a thriving market for the documents used
0:24:24 > 0:24:27to create fake identities.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Recently the force rented a commercial premises on this road
0:24:30 > 0:24:33and set up a second-hand goods business which they just
0:24:33 > 0:24:35called This 'N' That.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39But the shop was a sting operation
0:24:39 > 0:24:42staffed by two experienced undercover police officers.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Jed McCarthy, Detective Chief Inspector
0:24:46 > 0:24:50at Bedfordshire Police headed up the operation.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52We run it as a proper business.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54People come and buy things from us legitimately
0:24:54 > 0:24:59and sell things to us legitimately but over time and building trust,
0:24:59 > 0:25:05people start coming in and selling us the proceeds of crime.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08What the criminals didn't know was that their every action was
0:25:08 > 0:25:09being recorded on camera.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14What surprised the undercover team was the number of
0:25:14 > 0:25:17stolen identity documents they were being offered.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22People were offering us their own and other people's identity documents.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Their passports, driving license, credit cards,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28all those type of documentation
0:25:28 > 0:25:34and so that actually became quite a significant part of the operation.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Bedfordshire Police had been expecting to receive hooky gear,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41TVs, antiques and jewellery but over 25% of the goods sold to the
0:25:41 > 0:25:45undercover officers were identity documents.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Many of which had been stolen from innocent members of the public.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54One offender, Mr Bela Varga, a 48-year-old painter and decorator
0:25:54 > 0:25:57proved to be a regular visitor to the shop.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03In total, Bela Varga sold the undercover team 16 documents,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07including stolen passports and driving licences.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11And the evidence the CCTV yielded
0:26:11 > 0:26:13left Bela Varga with no wriggle room.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20We have, on video and audio, him selling us fake identities.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25Identities that he cannot lawfully or legally sell to anybody else.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29And we wouldn't have got this success at court if it wasn't for the quality
0:26:29 > 0:26:34of evidence that both the video and the audio in this shop has given us.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37After pleading guilty,
0:26:37 > 0:26:42Bela Varga received a suspended sentence for handling stolen goods.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46In total, CCTV evidence from the undercover shop has been used
0:26:46 > 0:26:50to secure convictions against 80 offenders.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52For Detective Chief Inspector McCarthy,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56the operation was a success on a number of fronts, not least
0:26:56 > 0:26:59for the targets of the crime who had their property returned to them.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03It was interesting that following the conclusion of this operation
0:27:03 > 0:27:05and when we started going to an arrest phase,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09we had a significant drop in serious acquisitive crime in the Luton area
0:27:09 > 0:27:12but what it helped us do was identity these victims that had
0:27:12 > 0:27:15lost property and getting their property back for them.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19Later, the extraordinary story of how one gang of fakers
0:27:19 > 0:27:23created hundreds of fake identities for illegal immigrants.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26I've been in the job for about 29 years and in all honesty,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29I can't say that I've ever come across anything of the complexity
0:27:29 > 0:27:32or spread of this operation.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36And how a Home Office investigation brought the gang to justice.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Now, while most of us might not look forward to a visit to the dentist,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49you'd be even more reluctant if you discovered that medical equipment
0:27:49 > 0:27:52being put into your mouth was fake.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Take a look at this.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58It's a dental curing light and it's used to set a filling.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02The problem is this fake wouldn't help to preserve your teeth
0:28:02 > 0:28:05and it could actually destroy them.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14You'll find a dental curing light in every dental surgery in the UK.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18The product is used by dentists to harden fillings in your teeth.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22But Danny Lee-Frost from
0:28:22 > 0:28:25the Medicine and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, the MHRA,
0:28:25 > 0:28:29is en route to assess a haul of fake dental lights.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33This morning, we're on our way to the MHRA evidence store,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36we're going to be looking at a consignment
0:28:36 > 0:28:38of seized dental curing lights.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40These products have come in from China and they've been
0:28:40 > 0:28:44the focus of our attention for the last two or three weeks.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48This isn't the first time the MHRA has had to act to stop
0:28:48 > 0:28:51fake dental equipment coming into the country.
0:28:52 > 0:28:53Previously on Fake Britain,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56we've seen seizures of fake dental products,
0:28:56 > 0:28:59including this incredible range of fake tools from China.
0:29:01 > 0:29:06They're so badly made they could break inside a patient's mouth.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12The products Danny's come to inspect are part of a huge seizure
0:29:12 > 0:29:14at the Port of Felixstowe.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16During the course of this investigation,
0:29:16 > 0:29:20the MHRA have seized over 400 of these counterfeit devices.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23They were all destined to be sold on eBay and Amazon.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30It's hard to believe a professional dentist would buy one of these
0:29:30 > 0:29:35fake lights but the MHRA knows 256 of them
0:29:35 > 0:29:39have been sold to UK addresses, including dental surgeries.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44What we have here are two of these dental curing devices.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47This one is a complete fake, there's no details of the manufacturer,
0:29:47 > 0:29:52which means the CE mark is invalid, that's a fake device.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54This one is a counterfeit.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57The packaging and the labelling say it's been made by the
0:29:57 > 0:29:59Guilin Woodpecker factory in China
0:29:59 > 0:30:02which is a legitimate manufacturer of these products.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05However, this particular one we understand was made by a factory that
0:30:05 > 0:30:08makes products for tattooing.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11The dangers with these products are that we do not know where they were
0:30:11 > 0:30:14made, we don't know whether they're safe,
0:30:14 > 0:30:18whether they will work properly. Any dentist using this to try and
0:30:18 > 0:30:21harden off and cure your fillings, it may not work.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24That's going to lead to you going back to the dentist in future,
0:30:24 > 0:30:27you may have further pain, further problems and further treatment.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34So what does an experienced dentist make of the product?
0:30:34 > 0:30:37We asked Paul Gallop to take a closer look at the counterfeit
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Woodpecker machine.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42So when I first looked at the box, I thought,
0:30:42 > 0:30:43"Well, this is very plain packaging."
0:30:43 > 0:30:46It's just a digital picture on the outside. I thought,
0:30:46 > 0:30:48"This looks a bit strange because it's a little bit plain."
0:30:48 > 0:30:51Then I opened it up, the first thing I noticed were the instructions.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54The instructions, usually get a booklet,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57it's like 30 pages thick in every single European language.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00That booklet was in Chinese and English, that was it and then
0:31:00 > 0:31:03when I looked at the product, initially it looked quite nice
0:31:03 > 0:31:05on the outside, it looked quite good
0:31:05 > 0:31:09but then as I put it together it felt plasticy, it felt cheap.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15This is just two plastic bits put together.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20This isn't sealed properly so bacteria are going to grow in here.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25The other problem with this light is, that I've noticed, that
0:31:25 > 0:31:30the connectors for the electrical recharging system are exposed.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36In the recharger, there's two double pin sockets
0:31:36 > 0:31:39and you put this back on here, if that's wet and this is wet,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42then there is potential to get electrocuted.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46So the fake dental light doesn't look good to our dentist.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48How does it perform in the lab?
0:31:51 > 0:31:52Will Palin from the
0:31:52 > 0:31:55School of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham
0:31:55 > 0:31:59is going to compare the counterfeit product against the genuine light.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07He starts by testing the actual wavelength that the light emits.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11The power of the electromagnetic waves these lights give off
0:32:11 > 0:32:13is measured in nanometres.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17This measurement is critical in determining how effectively
0:32:17 > 0:32:19the lights will set the filling.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21So we've just finished the tests
0:32:21 > 0:32:25and the product that was purchased from a reputable company
0:32:25 > 0:32:29showed an output at 470 nanometres,
0:32:29 > 0:32:32whereas the product that was purchased online
0:32:32 > 0:32:35showed a shorter wavelength at 450 nanometres.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40Ultimately what that means is that the online product may not
0:32:40 > 0:32:45cure the filling material as effectively as the branded product.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50A difference of 20 nanometres doesn't sound like much but it could
0:32:50 > 0:32:55be crucial in determining whether the filling will set properly.
0:32:55 > 0:33:00Dr Palin now tests the light's ability to actually set a filling.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02What we're doing here is going to test
0:33:02 > 0:33:06the properties of the material that are cured by the light itself.
0:33:06 > 0:33:11This material is the white filling material that dentists will use.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14The dentist will fill the cavity with this material
0:33:14 > 0:33:18and then use the curing light to set the material hard.
0:33:20 > 0:33:26Dr Palin tests both lights using the same composite material.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29At first look, they look similar in terms of how hard
0:33:29 > 0:33:32they have become but if we look at the results,
0:33:32 > 0:33:38here we can see the purple line here, that is the sample that has
0:33:38 > 0:33:43been cured by the branded light and the red line is the sample that
0:33:43 > 0:33:47has been cured by the light that was purchased online.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49The way that the line drops, how quickly it drops
0:33:49 > 0:33:54and the amount that it drops gives us an indication of how well set
0:33:54 > 0:33:58the material is and you can see at the end of the test,
0:33:58 > 0:34:01there's a difference of approximately 10%.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05Despite the differences in wavelengths, both fillings feel hard
0:34:05 > 0:34:09to the touch and Dr Palin believes this is part of the problem.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12The dentist is not necessarily going to know
0:34:12 > 0:34:15whether the material is cured effectively or not.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19So it might be that the patient has to come back a week, two weeks later
0:34:19 > 0:34:22and either the material has failed
0:34:22 > 0:34:25or there's been some secondary infection and ultimately,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28the restoration will have to be replaced.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34We also asked Dr Palin to test the temperature that the light emits.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39And his findings are a cause for grave concern.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43What we found was that the leading brand showed
0:34:43 > 0:34:47an increase in temperature of approximately 25 degrees Celsius.
0:34:47 > 0:34:54The curing unit that was purchased online surprisingly had a temperature
0:34:54 > 0:35:00increase of approximately 50 degrees Celsius which is really quite high.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02This is truly shocking.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04Under British safety standards,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07a dental light cannot emit more than 40 degrees.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11The fake light is outputting 50 degrees, 25% above the legal limit.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16When exposed to temperatures this high,
0:35:16 > 0:35:20the living cells within the tooth are at risk of being destroyed
0:35:20 > 0:35:23and that has serious implications for patients.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28The implications of such a high temperature rise could mean
0:35:28 > 0:35:33that it kills the living part of the tooth
0:35:33 > 0:35:38so the cells that are contained within the pulp cavity
0:35:38 > 0:35:42and, if that happens, there is a risk that the restoration will fall out
0:35:42 > 0:35:45and potentially the patient may lose their tooth.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Earlier we discovered what can happen when your passport falls
0:35:57 > 0:35:59into the hands of the ID fakers.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01I'm totally innocent, I've done nothing wrong
0:36:01 > 0:36:04and you know, why would I even contemplate
0:36:04 > 0:36:08remortgaging my property for something that I didn't owe?
0:36:08 > 0:36:12But just what is the price for British citizenship,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15if you're an overseas national willing to do business
0:36:15 > 0:36:16with the fakers?
0:36:19 > 0:36:22For five years a gang of fakers operated behind these
0:36:22 > 0:36:26shuttered premises in a quiet part of Manchester.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29Neighbours believe the man renting the premises,
0:36:29 > 0:36:33Ataur Rahman Talukdar, was running a travel agency
0:36:33 > 0:36:36and money exchange service called Miftah Travel and Cargo.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41But in reality, the building was being used as a front for fake ID
0:36:41 > 0:36:47documents and these fakes were being produced on an industrial scale.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Nick Wood heads up the Home Office immigration team
0:36:52 > 0:36:54here in the North West.
0:36:54 > 0:36:55In recent years,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58his team have uncovered a number of immigration scams
0:36:58 > 0:37:01but nothing on the scale of what they were about to discover.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06I've been in the job for about 29 years and in all honesty,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09I can't say that I've ever come across anything of the complexity
0:37:09 > 0:37:12or spread of this operation that was run by Talukdar.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18Talukdar and his associates were creating reams of fake documents
0:37:18 > 0:37:22all intended to dupe the Home Office into unwittingly approving
0:37:22 > 0:37:26residency or citizenship applications from his clients.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32He had various levels of what he could do for people,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36ranging from simply putting residency stamps into Bangladeshi passports,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39all the way up to full British citizenship.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41So this is the place where those conversations
0:37:41 > 0:37:43and those deals took place.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49When accessing applications for residency or citizenship from
0:37:49 > 0:37:50overseas nationals,
0:37:50 > 0:37:54the Home Office will want to see numerous supporting documents.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Applicants need to show proof they've been living
0:37:57 > 0:38:01and working legally in the UK for at least five years.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Talukdar realised his clients would be willing to pay a small
0:38:05 > 0:38:09fortune for fake versions of that paperwork.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14The gang would start by procuring passports from Bangladesh
0:38:14 > 0:38:17then using fake supporting paperwork,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21build fake identities around the name on the Bangladeshi passport.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Talukdar would then apply for anything from leave to remain
0:38:26 > 0:38:30in the UK to full British citizenship
0:38:30 > 0:38:32using the name on the procured passport
0:38:32 > 0:38:35but inserting the photo of his client.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40The full citizenship package cost an incredible £15,000.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46But this would entitle Talukdar's clients to all of the
0:38:46 > 0:38:49welfare benefits and services, including education
0:38:49 > 0:38:53and free health care that come with being a British citizen.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Talukdar didn't operate alone.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01Under him were a number of lieutenants who assisted him
0:39:01 > 0:39:05in creating the fake life stories his clients needed.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08One of the gang, Haroon Miah, worked here,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10a branch of Barclays bank in Hyde.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15Talukdar got Haroon Miah to make up false bank accounts
0:39:15 > 0:39:18in false identities.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20Now Haroon Miah did this without any knowledge of Barclays
0:39:20 > 0:39:23and he did it without any of the checks and balances that you'd
0:39:23 > 0:39:25normally expect when a bank account is opened up.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31The Home Office team had long held suspicions that Talukdar was
0:39:31 > 0:39:33involved in immigration offences.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37However, it was a tip-off from one of Talukdar's former workers
0:39:37 > 0:39:40which gave the team the evidence they needed to raid
0:39:40 > 0:39:42Miftah Travel and Cargo.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45What they found was evidence of one of the largest
0:39:45 > 0:39:49fake immigration operations ever attempted in Britain.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51This is just some of the haul of
0:39:51 > 0:39:54fake documents found at Miftah Travel.
0:39:54 > 0:39:55Helpfully for the authorities,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59Talukdar was in the middle of doing a deal as they arrived.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02We had a Bangladeshi gentleman who couldn't speak much English
0:40:02 > 0:40:05but when we asked him, indicated that it was Talukdar that
0:40:05 > 0:40:09had his identity and his supporting documents.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12We looked at Talukdar who had very obligingly presented us
0:40:12 > 0:40:18with this Bangladeshi passport with forged Home Office stamps in it
0:40:18 > 0:40:23and a whole plethora of paperwork all made out in the customer's name
0:40:23 > 0:40:26as part of the supporting application to the Home Office.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29This gentleman was subsequently convicted
0:40:29 > 0:40:32and was sent to prison for obtaining leave by deception.
0:40:33 > 0:40:39The Home Office immigration team also found 11 Bangladeshi passports.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43These documents were probably sourced in Bangladesh
0:40:43 > 0:40:48and procuring them was key to Talukdar's operation.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51His clients couldn't use their original passports.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54For starters, they would reveal that the holder had just
0:40:54 > 0:40:58arrived in the UK or had been here illegally.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03An experienced faker like Talukdar knew how to doctor these passports
0:41:03 > 0:41:06so the authority's suspicions wouldn't be raised.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Part of the photograph has been taken out ready for somebody else's to be
0:41:10 > 0:41:15slipped in and the details have been bleached and washed away,
0:41:15 > 0:41:19again ready for someone else to have their details inserted instead.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22Although ostensibly this document in itself wouldn't be any good to
0:41:22 > 0:41:27travel, you can always cannibalise blank pages and use them
0:41:27 > 0:41:30to replace pages which might in your own passport have an
0:41:30 > 0:41:33adverse immigration history signal.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35As part of the investigation,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38Nick's team also built up a picture of Talukdar's lifestyle,
0:41:38 > 0:41:43in order to prove that his actual spending didn't match his income.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46Exhibit one was his home.
0:41:46 > 0:41:47As you can see, comfortable,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50well appointed detached four bedroomed house in Hyde.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55He put a £90,000 deposit on this despite being on benefits at the time
0:41:55 > 0:41:58so that gives you some indication of what kind of money he was making.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04In total, the Home Office believes Talukdar arranged fake documents
0:42:04 > 0:42:09for around 250 immigrants over a five year period
0:42:09 > 0:42:14and this trade netted the gang over £700,000.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Talukdar was convicted of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration
0:42:17 > 0:42:21and conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24He was jailed for eight years.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Haroon Miah who was sacked from Barclays following his arrest,
0:42:27 > 0:42:30was jailed for three years after being convicted of
0:42:30 > 0:42:34conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Other gang members, including three of Talukdar's brothers, were
0:42:37 > 0:42:41jailed for between one year and four years and three months.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45However, the impact of the gang's fakery continues.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50Of the estimated 250 clients, many have never been traced.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.