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.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Police! Move!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- Get down! Get down! - On the floor now!
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Put your hands behind your back now!
0:00:25 > 0:00:26Here at the Fake Britain house,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29we'll reveal the fakes that are flooding the market,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33conning people like you and me, and making money for the criminals.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36We'll investigate the fraudsters who are selling us
0:00:36 > 0:00:40something that isn't real and could be dangerous.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43And we'll help you avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50Today on Fake Britain, the faux fur that's actually real animal fur
0:00:50 > 0:00:53and the high-street chains that have been selling it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55It's definitely not false fur.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59So somebody who's buying this hoping to avoid fur products,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01I'm afraid they've been misled.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06The faker who conned job-seekers out of thousands
0:01:06 > 0:01:09and then implicated one of his own victims in the crime.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14I heard a knock on the door. And all I heard was, "Police, police!"
0:01:14 > 0:01:17And they may look cute on the outside but inside,
0:01:17 > 0:01:20these fake night-lights are seriously ugly.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24So there is no doubt in my mind that a fault on the electronics,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27in certain circumstances, the product could actually catch fire.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38Could you tell the difference between real fur and faux fur?
0:01:38 > 0:01:42Wearing imitation fur is a choice made by lots of people
0:01:42 > 0:01:45who think real fur is cruel and unnecessary.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50Unsurprisingly, the fakers have been keen to get their grubby paws
0:01:50 > 0:01:55on the fur market but unbelievably, they're not selling fake fur
0:01:55 > 0:01:59and pretending it's real, it's the other way round.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03All of this is real fur that was sold as synthetic fur.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05It's fake faux fur.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09And it's deceiving people who might be horrified to find
0:02:09 > 0:02:11they're wearing the real thing.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13It's making a lot of money for the fakers.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Faux fur is the perfect way to have the look and feel
0:02:19 > 0:02:23of real fur without any animals being harmed.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26And it's become so popular that in the last two years alone,
0:02:26 > 0:02:30the number of new synthetic fur products for sale in the UK
0:02:30 > 0:02:31has more than doubled.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34I think in this day of garment technology,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37there is no need for real fur to be used at all.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Totally against real fur and I would expect that
0:02:40 > 0:02:42most things available to us would be faux fur anyway.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46But fakers are getting in on the fur action
0:02:46 > 0:02:50and selling fake faux fur, which means that horrifyingly,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55some of the synthetic fur on your high street is not synthetic at all.
0:02:55 > 0:02:56It's real.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Boudicca Lee is an animal rights blogger
0:03:03 > 0:03:04from Croydon in south London.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08She's noticed real fur for sale on her local high street
0:03:08 > 0:03:11and believes fakers are trying to pass it off as faux fur.
0:03:13 > 0:03:14Here we have a hat.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19A little hat, very, very sweet.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24But if you have a look at the label, the label is 64% acrylic, 36% wool.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26So, no fur mentioned there at all.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29I believe that this is real fur rather than fake fur
0:03:29 > 0:03:32because it's on a lining of skin.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Fake fur is on a bed of fabric
0:03:34 > 0:03:37and real fur is on a lining of skin or leather.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42She also bought a coat costing £30 and a cardigan costing £10.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46And just like the hat, both items have a fur trim
0:03:46 > 0:03:49but neither has a label saying what it's made of.
0:03:49 > 0:03:50And that is illegal.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Sylvia Rook is a trading standards officer.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58If you've got fur trim on a garment, the law says that
0:03:58 > 0:04:02it needs to say that it contains products of animal origin,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05so that you know that there is something from an animal
0:04:05 > 0:04:06on the garment.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09If the label makes no mention of any fur,
0:04:09 > 0:04:13the natural conclusion is that the garment doesn't contain any.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16So, real fur, not labelled, could easily be mistaken
0:04:16 > 0:04:18for good-quality faux fur.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Fake Britain wanted to find out what the garments Boudicca bought
0:04:22 > 0:04:24are really made from.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28So, we took them to Dr Phil Greaves at Microtex near Leeds.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32With 40 years' experience of studying different fibres,
0:04:32 > 0:04:34he can tell just from a quick glance through a microscope
0:04:34 > 0:04:37what type of animal the fur comes from.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39This is definitely an animal fibre.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41The first one he tests is the cardigan.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45This is very, very closely resembling mink.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Next, Dr Greaves looks at the hat.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Then I would say that these are most like weasel.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58It's definitely not false fur, so if somebody was buying this
0:04:58 > 0:05:03hoping to avoid fur products, I'm afraid they've been misled.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06The fur on the third item, the coat,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09comes from an animal you may not be familiar with,
0:05:09 > 0:05:10the raccoon dog.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15It's a type of wild dog commonly found in Asia.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19They're known as raccoon dogs because of their distinct markings.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20Come up, up, up.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Ventura Wildlife keeps raccoon dogs at its conservation centre
0:05:24 > 0:05:25in north London.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Ashley Palmier is the director.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31So, this is Mango. She's one of our adult raccoon dogs.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Raccoon dogs are fascinating creatures,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35they have this wonderful coat, it grows extra long
0:05:35 > 0:05:38and that is what is so beautiful to touch.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42But this lovely fluffy coat is unfortunately what makes them
0:05:42 > 0:05:45perfect for the fur trade.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46And there's another reason too.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48They have massive litters and those big litters,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51of anything up to 19 have been recorded, would be perfect
0:05:51 > 0:05:53if you were farming them for fur.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57But the fur farms are notorious for the horrendous way
0:05:57 > 0:05:59in which animals are treated.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02It's an issue that especially concerns Claire Bass
0:06:02 > 0:06:03from the Humane Society.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Every year, hundreds of millions of animals
0:06:07 > 0:06:09are killed in the fur industry.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Many of these animals will have led pitiful existences
0:06:12 > 0:06:16in tiny wire cages barely bigger than themselves.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Because of the intensive way animals like the raccoon dogs are farmed,
0:06:19 > 0:06:22their fur can be produced surprisingly cheaply.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26What we've got here is raccoon dog fur trimming for hoods.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29The pricing is really shockingly low.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33200 pieces, the batches come in, and they work out between
0:06:33 > 0:06:36one and three dollars per piece.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40So you're looking at a 70cm strip of animal fur
0:06:40 > 0:06:43for as little as basically about a pound.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46For many people, it can come as a surprise to learn that
0:06:46 > 0:06:48real fur can be quite so cheap.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50It is in fact fake...faux fur.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54I don't think I have the money to buy real fur.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56Looking at the price, probably the price could tell you that
0:06:56 > 0:07:00it's not real fur because it's only £8.99 whereas probably
0:07:00 > 0:07:04the products with the real fur would be much more expensive than that.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Traditionally, perhaps there's a perception that real fur is
0:07:07 > 0:07:09a sort of great luxury and very expensive.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12And that an item that's maybe £10-£20
0:07:12 > 0:07:14couldn't possibly be real fur.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17But consumers who think that need to think again
0:07:17 > 0:07:21because real fur nowadays can be purchased for far less
0:07:21 > 0:07:22than quality faux fur prices.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27So, by not labelling the fur as they should
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and by selling it cheaply, fakers are tricking consumers
0:07:30 > 0:07:32into buying a product they really don't want.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36But some have gone a step further.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41They're actually selling real fur clearly labelled as faux fur.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45And it's happening in well-known high street stalls.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Our researchers spent some time looking at a lot of UK websites
0:07:49 > 0:07:52to look at their items labelled as faux fur,
0:07:52 > 0:07:56and they identified a few which they thought could be real fur.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58We then purchased a small number of these
0:07:58 > 0:08:01and in a number of cases, this turned out to be the case.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03One of the garments they bought was a coat
0:08:03 > 0:08:06from the leading department store House Of Fraser.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10It's described on the website as having a faux fur trim on the hood.
0:08:10 > 0:08:16When we come to examine it, we find that it's actually real animal fur.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18There's a couple of ways to...
0:08:18 > 0:08:20to spot fake faux from real fur.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23The first thing I'm looking at is the tapering of the hairs.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29So with real fur, the end of the hairs goes to a very thin fine point
0:08:29 > 0:08:32and that doesn't tend to happen with faux fur.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37The other thing I'm looking at is the base of the fur.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42Then you see quite clearly the hairs are attached to a skin.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45But it wasn't just the coat.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Researchers also found a pair of gloves with a fur trim,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51sold by popular high street retailer TK Maxx.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55On their website, the trim is clearly described as faux fur.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58When they arrived,
0:08:58 > 0:09:02we were able to see that in fact they are real animal fur.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Probably in this case most likely rabbit fur,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07although we'll have to get that tested to confirm it.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Claire's suspicion was confirmed
0:09:09 > 0:09:13when we took the gloves to fibres expert Dr Greaves.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14These have been dyed.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20And they have classic rabbit structures.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22So, these are rabbit fur.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Dr Greaves also examined the House Of Fraser coat.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32And these fibres have the appearance of fox.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36I'm surprised that if it's claimed to be false fur,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38that it is actually an animal fibre.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42So, that's five different types of real animal fur -
0:09:42 > 0:09:45weasel, mink, raccoon dog, rabbit and fox,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49that Fake Britain found on the high street.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51And two of them were sold labelled as faux fur
0:09:51 > 0:09:53by well-known high street chains.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58If I bought these to find out that these were actually real
0:09:58 > 0:10:02instead of fake, I'd be furious, absolutely furious.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05I would feel that I was massively mis-sold a product that I would...
0:10:05 > 0:10:08That goes against everything that I believe in.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I'd be really annoyed at that, really annoyed. That's...
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Actually, I don't even want to hold it any more.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17But if people are buying fur without realising,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19they're contributing to an industry
0:10:19 > 0:10:21they didn't want anything to do with.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25And that's giving a false impression of the demand for real fur.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28What we found here with this short investigation,
0:10:28 > 0:10:29this snapshot of the market,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32is that potentially a significant number of these animals
0:10:32 > 0:10:35are actually being mis-sold as faux fur,
0:10:35 > 0:10:39which is artificially inflating the market for real fur.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44TK Maxx told us it has had a long-standing no fur policy
0:10:44 > 0:10:47since 2003 and doesn't knowingly purchase items
0:10:47 > 0:10:49that contain real fur.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Despite having been informed of this policy, one of its vendors
0:10:52 > 0:10:56mistakenly supplied gloves that contained real fur.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00TK Maxx regrets that its internal teams didn't catch this error
0:11:00 > 0:11:02and ensure that these products weren't sold.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06It's refreshing its practices to avoid a similar error in the future.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12House Of Fraser also told us it has a strict no fur policy
0:11:12 > 0:11:15and ensures all of its brands and suppliers are aware of this.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18It says it was told by the brand that supplied the coat
0:11:18 > 0:11:21that it was made of 100% polyester and nylon.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24House Of Fraser says it would never knowingly mislead its customers
0:11:24 > 0:11:28and is very disappointed by the behaviour of this particular brand.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31As a result, it's terminated its relationship with the brand
0:11:31 > 0:11:34and no longer stocks any of its products.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38The high street stores weren't the only ones surprised
0:11:38 > 0:11:40by Fake Britain's revelations.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Until this was brought to our attention by Fake Britain,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46we weren't aware that there were so many garments that were
0:11:46 > 0:11:49potentially being mis-described in this way.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51And I certainly feel this matter warrants further
0:11:51 > 0:11:53investigation by Trading Standards.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00Here on Fake Britain,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04we're no strangers to the stories of people who thought
0:12:04 > 0:12:08they'd landed a great new job, only to find out it's a fake.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10It can be a very distressing experience
0:12:10 > 0:12:15and result in the loss of a lot of time, effort, confidence and money.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19But we've discovered it can be even worse than that.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Because supplying personal details to a fraudster for a job application
0:12:23 > 0:12:26can also lead to very unpleasant surprises.
0:12:28 > 0:12:33It's reckoned that in 2013, almost 12 million people used the internet
0:12:33 > 0:12:36to look for work or apply for jobs.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40And one of them was product design graduate Anamul Haque.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42When he needed a job, he went online.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45Before I graduated, there was a lot of jobs available.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48Once I actually graduated, the recession kicked in.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51So, I had a lot of stress in my head, thinking, "I need a job."
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Anamul uploaded his CV to the local classifieds website Gumtree
0:12:56 > 0:12:58and started applying for work.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Soon he received an e-mail,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03saying he'd been offered a customer service position
0:13:03 > 0:13:04paying £23,000 a year.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08A lot of companies, they need customer service.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10As I'd never had that before, I thought, you know,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12this is a new field for me to get into.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17To confirm the role, Anamul needed to supply a copy of his passport
0:13:17 > 0:13:19and National Insurance number
0:13:19 > 0:13:24and undergo a Criminal Records Bureau or CRB check, costing £50.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27This would have to be paid for in advance
0:13:27 > 0:13:29by an unusual means of payment.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31It was all like, "Go to the nearest PayPower shop
0:13:31 > 0:13:33"and get a Ukash voucher."
0:13:33 > 0:13:35So, I didn't know what a Ukash voucher was.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40Ukash is a system that allows consumers to use cash to pay online.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42They hand over their money and in return, get a voucher
0:13:42 > 0:13:47containing a code which is entered into the website they want to pay.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49The recipient uses the code to draw the payment
0:13:49 > 0:13:52into their own online account.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56Anamul went to his local shop a Ukash voucher for £50,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58as required by the e-mail.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00I scanned a copy of my passport,
0:14:00 > 0:14:05I also scanned a copy of my National Insurance card and I also gave them
0:14:05 > 0:14:08the Ukash voucher and they said,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11"OK, we'll let you know within 24 hours."
0:14:11 > 0:14:15But days went by and Anamul heard nothing.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18On the fourth day, checked my e-mail and I thought, "OK, you know,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20"the date's coming close and no response,"
0:14:20 > 0:14:22and I actually realised, "OK, it was a scam."
0:14:23 > 0:14:25It turned out the job was a fake.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Anamul kicked himself that he'd fallen for the faker's tricks.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32I mean, I really want to swear but I'm not going to swear!
0:14:32 > 0:14:34HE LAUGHS
0:14:34 > 0:14:39But...I was thinking, "OK, someone's actually scammed me."
0:14:39 > 0:14:40I felt little.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44What upset Anamul most was that he'd given his personal details
0:14:44 > 0:14:45to the fakers.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48£50 is not really a big issue.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50But I've actually sent off my passport
0:14:50 > 0:14:51and my National Insurance card
0:14:51 > 0:14:53and that's the big thing for me
0:14:53 > 0:14:56as that information can be used to do anything.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Meanwhile, Yorkshire and the Humber Trading Standards
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Scambuster's team had received dozens of complaints
0:15:04 > 0:15:07about the fake e-mail and had begun investigating.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10John Field led the enquiry.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Around about 50 complaints had been received by Action Fraud
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and by Trading Standards
0:15:16 > 0:15:18from individuals who had been misled.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21And then what we have to do, is like most of these complaints,
0:15:21 > 0:15:25is trace the money to see where the money supply has gone.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28And the team traced the Ukash payments
0:15:28 > 0:15:30to three online bank accounts.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35Whoever had opened these accounts was clearly involved in the fakery.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38When they had the details of the three account holders,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Trading Standards got a warrant to raid and search their homes.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45The idea of the execution of the warrants was initially to see
0:15:45 > 0:15:49if we could identify the three individuals whose names
0:15:49 > 0:15:52appeared on the accounts because we believed that they perpetrated,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54committed or could have committed a fraud.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59And one of the accounts was in the name of Anamul Haque.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07I heard a knock on the door. And all I heard was, "Police! Police!"
0:16:10 > 0:16:12So, I came downstairs.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Then I see there's a lot of police officers
0:16:14 > 0:16:17and they actually started grabbing me.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20And they arrested me and before they were putting the handcuffs off me,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23they're telling me, "This is the reason why we're arresting you,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25"because you've been scamming people."
0:16:25 > 0:16:29I was a bit baffled. "What's going on? People raiding into my house."
0:16:29 > 0:16:31I was like, "I haven't done anything."
0:16:31 > 0:16:34Because his name was on one of the accounts used for receiving
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Ukash payments, Trading Standards believed Anamul
0:16:37 > 0:16:39was one of the fakers.
0:16:39 > 0:16:40Everyone was crying around me.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44My wife was crying around me, my mum was crying and everyone's panicking.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47And at the background, there's officers just coming into the house.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Because it was like a raid.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51They seized his phones and computer
0:16:51 > 0:16:54and took him down to the police station for questioning.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57But when they asked him about the £50 Ukash vouchers,
0:16:57 > 0:17:02the experience he'd had six months previously all came flooding back.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05It hit me, I was like, "Hold on, hold on. Six months ago...
0:17:06 > 0:17:08"..I was actually a victim of a scam."
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Not only had the fakers stolen £50 from Anamul for a fake CRB check
0:17:14 > 0:17:18for a fake job, they'd also used his personal details to set up
0:17:18 > 0:17:21an online bank account and used that to take payments
0:17:21 > 0:17:23from other victims.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26When Trading Standards looked into his computer,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28they quickly found he was telling the truth.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Because he'd supplied so many details,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33the fraudsters themselves had been able to set up
0:17:33 > 0:17:38an account in his name, which indicated that he was the person
0:17:38 > 0:17:41committing the offence, when in fact he was an innocent victim.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Anamul was released without charge.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46I'm very sorry about the upset that will have been caused to Mr Haque
0:17:46 > 0:17:47and to his family.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50But there was absolutely no alternative
0:17:50 > 0:17:52in terms of our actions.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54It appeared that he was the perpetrator of the fraud.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59So, who was this faker who had stolen Anamul Haque's identity
0:17:59 > 0:18:02and used it to extract money from other victims?
0:18:02 > 0:18:06His name was Alexandru Hincu and he lived in North London
0:18:06 > 0:18:09at one of the other addresses raided by Trading Standards
0:18:09 > 0:18:11and police that same morning.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Hincu was arrested.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18Mr Hincu admitted to receiving over £3,000 in terms of payment.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21We're not sure whether that is the full scale of his operation
0:18:21 > 0:18:24because cash payments were also going to accounts
0:18:24 > 0:18:26that had been set up outside the United Kingdom
0:18:26 > 0:18:28that we were unable to trace.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Hincu was making thousands from Ukash payments
0:18:32 > 0:18:36for fake criminal records checks for fake jobs.
0:18:36 > 0:18:37And he's not the only one.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Action Fraud has reported several other examples
0:18:40 > 0:18:44of advanced fee scams targeting job-seekers.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45What the targets don't realise
0:18:45 > 0:18:49is that being asked for a criminal record check up-front
0:18:49 > 0:18:51is clear indication of fakery.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54You will never be asked for a criminal record check for
0:18:54 > 0:18:57working in a call centre, working in a shop,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59customer service roles, travel and retail.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Adrienne Kelbie is Chief Executive
0:19:03 > 0:19:05of the Disclosure and Barring Service
0:19:05 > 0:19:09which administers the UK's criminal record checks.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11The criminal record check is required when people
0:19:11 > 0:19:13wish to work in jobs with the vulnerable,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17whether that's children or elderly or vulnerable adults.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20It has nothing whatsoever to do with checking out criminal records
0:19:20 > 0:19:22for people in general jobs.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Job-seekers who do require a genuine check
0:19:25 > 0:19:28will rarely pay for it themselves and never in advance.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31A reputable employer will only ask them
0:19:31 > 0:19:33for those checks post-interview.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37They should never be asked to either pay up front for fill in a form
0:19:37 > 0:19:41before they've been offered a job after a thorough interview process.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43So, what can you do
0:19:43 > 0:19:44if you're applying for jobs online
0:19:44 > 0:19:47and don't want to be caught out by the fakers?
0:19:47 > 0:19:51I'd urge people to be very careful in terms of supplying
0:19:51 > 0:19:53personal information on the internet.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56And to be very careful about sending money to individuals
0:19:56 > 0:19:59that they've had no contact with at all.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It's probably very wise if you're getting something
0:20:02 > 0:20:04that appears to be from a legitimate company
0:20:04 > 0:20:06just to google that company online
0:20:06 > 0:20:08and to try and contact them themselves
0:20:08 > 0:20:10before you send them any money.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14The faker Alexandru Hincu pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and received a six-month suspended prison sentence
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and 180 hours community service.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23He was also ordered to pay compensation to his targets.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Ukash had no knowledge of or involvement in the crime.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Anamul now has a job working as a photographer
0:20:33 > 0:20:35but he's still angry about what happened.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38I didn't get the job, my £50 went,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40my personal information is out there.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43I got arrested, I got dragged down to the police station.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46It's upsetting to me, it was upsetting.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56One of the most callous types of fakery we see here on Fake Britain
0:20:56 > 0:21:00is when the criminals get involved with products for children.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02And we have yet another example right here.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07This happy little reptile is called a Twilight Turtle.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09But while this is the real deal,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13all his little friends here are turtle fakes.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17Far from being a fun, comforting and educational night-light for a child,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20they are in fact potentially dangerous.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27A Twilight Turtle is a soft toy and night-light rolled into one.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30It's made by American manufacturer Cloud b.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34The name and the shape of the toy are protected by trademark.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40Geoff Weller is a lawyer who fights the fakers on behalf of the company.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45The Twilight Turtle is a night-light designed to help young children
0:21:45 > 0:21:47of any age, really, sleep.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52As well as being soothing, the turtle is also educational.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54The design represents real constellations,
0:21:54 > 0:21:57so parents can teach their children about the night sky.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01There are various constellations set out on the shell, so when the LEDs
0:22:01 > 0:22:04shine through, they project onto the ceiling and around the room.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09A real Twilight Turtle will set you back about £30.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14But you can buy an impostor online at a lower price.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18And like any impostor, these phoney turtles are not to be trusted.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24As Karen Surette found out when she went to buy presents
0:22:24 > 0:22:27for her great-niece and nephew's birthdays.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31One is one in November and other is one in December.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35So I was looking for something special, something different
0:22:35 > 0:22:38that could have been a combined Christmas
0:22:38 > 0:22:40and birthday present for them.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Karen searched online for gift ideas and discovered the Twilight Turtles.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51Karen bought two turtles online, costing £19.99 each.
0:22:51 > 0:22:57The boxes were smashed. And they didn't look very professional.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01What was inside was even worse.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Immediately, out pops a plug.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08There's no safety standards on it and it's all in Chinese.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Before we take the turtle out, there is a screwdriver.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15I dread to think that if I had given these toys to my niece
0:23:15 > 0:23:18and nephew to open themselves, what would have happened
0:23:18 > 0:23:21with that screwdriver, the injury they could have given themselves.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24And then the turtle, which is not very well-made.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27And this plastic is very sharp on the edges.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31The buttons are very wobbly.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33The fabric is coming away underneath.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35I mean, it's very cheaply glued.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39So not happy at all.
0:23:39 > 0:23:40The turtles were fake.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44There was no way Karen could give them to the children.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45I could have cried.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Because I was so looking forward, I was so excited to get the turtles
0:23:49 > 0:23:52that when I realised that we had bought fakes,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55it was anger and sadness.
0:23:55 > 0:23:56Yeah.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01In his pursuit of the fakers, trademark attorney Geoff Weller
0:24:01 > 0:24:03has amassed an army of fake turtles
0:24:03 > 0:24:06that's like an invasive species
0:24:06 > 0:24:09threatening the survival of the originals.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13At first glance, the fake turtles seem to be quite convincing copies.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16It's when you look closer that the cracks begin to appear.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20On this fake, this came in the box like this with the crack
0:24:20 > 0:24:23through the shell, which certainly would stop it working well
0:24:23 > 0:24:27as well as being a danger with the snapped plastic.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Additionally, the quality of the turtle underneath the shell
0:24:32 > 0:24:35in the fakes is variable, to say the least.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39This came in the box with the fluff already falling out.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41And if you try to teach your children about the night sky
0:24:41 > 0:24:44using a fake turtle, they could end up rather confused.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48On the original, you have the constellations here
0:24:48 > 0:24:51with the crescent moon on my right.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56And on the fakes, the constellations are the wrong way round,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58the crescent's on the other side.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02The poor quality of the fakes can also be seen when you turn them on.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06If we take...the original away.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10You see, that's the...constellation
0:25:10 > 0:25:12with the crescent moon up on the left.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16Got the original there.
0:25:18 > 0:25:19And then take the counterfeit away.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24You see a much clearer star pattern, much more detailed.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27The crescent moon's up on the right.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32And also, very clearly different impact as a lamp in the room.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35If you shell out for a fake, you're clearly getting ripped off.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38But that's not the worst thing that could happen.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41There could be a risk that the electrics would go wrong,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43maybe resulting in fire.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46We don't know what would happen if a child chewed, swallowed,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49played too vigorously with this toy, whether it would break.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52We don't know what the chemicals or materials,
0:25:52 > 0:25:53what effects they would have.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Because we just don't know the quality or the standards
0:25:56 > 0:25:57these have been produced to, if any.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03To find out how unsafe the fake turtles really are,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06we took a couple to toy testing specialist
0:26:06 > 0:26:08Dr David Elks at Intertek.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11So, we've got two turtles here. One is real, one is fake.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18Dr Elks tests the durability of the toy using a 7kg weight
0:26:18 > 0:26:20to mimic children's rough play.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21Ready?
0:26:26 > 0:26:27Or not.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29That is not what's supposed to happen!
0:26:31 > 0:26:34We've torn the whole side off the toy.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Which again, where we've got stuffing exposed at the base,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40we've now got it all round the sides as well.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46When the genuine turtle is put through the same test,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48it passes with flying colours.
0:26:48 > 0:26:49There you go.
0:26:51 > 0:26:52No ill effect.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57The fake turtle has already failed to meet toy safety standards
0:26:57 > 0:26:58and shouldn't be allowed on sale.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02But Fake Britain wanted to see what might happen
0:27:02 > 0:27:06if a fault with the turtle's wiring were to cause a spark.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Electrics testing expert Ray Jeffries does a very simple test
0:27:10 > 0:27:14to see what might happen if the toy were to catch fire.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Plastic used to make children's toys should be fire retardant.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22This plastic material should self-extinguish in 30 seconds.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27We've got flaming droplets coming off.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30It's just burning.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33There's no flame retardant in the plastic whatsoever.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39So there is no doubt in my mind that a fault on the electronics,
0:27:39 > 0:27:40in certain circumstances,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44the product could actually catch fire and cause a very serious fire.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47And I should imagine as well, toxic fumes.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50The fake turtle has well and truly failed the safety tests.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Karen's experience has left her disappointed
0:27:55 > 0:27:58and wary of buying anything on the internet.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01It's very sad that there are people out there
0:28:01 > 0:28:04selling these products to unsuspecting members of the public.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07With no regard to safety.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Items that could harm their child.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.