0:00:02 > 0:00:05Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Police!
0:00:20 > 0:00:24- Get down on the floor now! - Put your hands behind your back now!
0:00:24 > 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 > 0:00:31conning people like you and me
0:00:31 > 0:00:33and making money for the criminals.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35We'll investigate the fraudsters
0:00:35 > 0:00:38who are selling us something that isn't real
0:00:38 > 0:00:40and could be dangerous.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44And we'll help you avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Today on Fake Britain...
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Police crack open a counterfeit champagne case
0:00:52 > 0:00:54where the fakers are making a killing.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59We think there's probably about £33,000 there in that bag.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04We're given one of the most advanced fake £2 coins ever
0:01:04 > 0:01:07from the one place you'd never expect - a high street bank.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11It's certainly the best £2 counterfeit that I've seen.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14And the fake carbon monoxide detectors
0:01:14 > 0:01:16that could cost you your life.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20The claims of compliance with the standard, in this instance,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22with these particular products, is fake.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Britain is the world's largest export market for champagne.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Each year, we consume around 30 million bottles of the stuff.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40It's big business and the fakers are desperate to get
0:01:40 > 0:01:44their share of the fizz in this lucrative market.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48So, not surprising then, that the police, Revenue & Customs,
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Trading Standards and even Europol mounted a joint operation
0:01:52 > 0:01:56to crack down on the burgeoning champagne fakery.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59But even they were surprised at what they found.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05- It's daybreak.- OK, guys, can I have your attention, please?
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Detective Inspector Simon Harsley
0:02:07 > 0:02:10from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit
0:02:10 > 0:02:13is here to talk champagne.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15All this stuff's been smuggled in.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19It runs into millions of pounds that are owed to Revenue & Customs.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21They're planning a dawn raid
0:02:21 > 0:02:24on a wholesaler that's trading in fake bubbly.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27We hope to find some counterfeit alcohol
0:02:27 > 0:02:30and a quantity of alcohol that's duty-evaded,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32ie smuggled into the country.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Briefing over. Now it's time to get going.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Can I task you with getting some prisoner transport to Team 3?
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Team 3, please.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Just ahead of Simon, his team are swooping
0:02:51 > 0:02:54on three separate locations connected to the business.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59We're executing the warrants now at two warehouse locations,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03so we're looking to secure the warehouses
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and really see what we've got there and contain everything,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09so it's a question of getting in there quickly
0:03:09 > 0:03:11so no evidence is destroyed.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17First up, Simon arrives at the main warehouse and business premises.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21The owner isn't here, but police suspect
0:03:21 > 0:03:24some of his employees could be illegal immigrants.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26After questioning, one of them is arrested
0:03:26 > 0:03:30- on suspicion of immigration offences. - Hi, please step in the van.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33A quick update.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36We've obviously gained entry. Pretty sparse, really.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Not much there, as far as I can see.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42So, not much by the way of champagne,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46although the team soon discovers wine by the caseload
0:03:46 > 0:03:48and they suspect this has been smuggled in
0:03:48 > 0:03:50without the duty being paid.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53But there's soon another surprise.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59There's a whole hoard of other fake or illegal goods
0:03:59 > 0:04:03uncovered by Trading Standards - generators, chainsaws,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07angle grinders, even a couple of compactors to tarmac the drive.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12The machinery you can see doesn't fit the British standard.
0:04:12 > 0:04:13There's no instructions.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16This machinery shouldn't be in this country,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19being sold on the open market, and, potentially, it's dangerous,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21so that's why it's being taken out of here.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24These fakers certainly aren't whiter than white.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Counterfeit washing powder also seems high on the for sale list.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30And it doesn't stop there.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34As well as chainsaws, Trading Standards uncover power drills
0:04:34 > 0:04:36that don't appear to meet European standards.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40All of these products potentially putting British customers in danger.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45There's another surprise in store for Simon's team -
0:04:45 > 0:04:47and it still isn't bubbly.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51OK, what we've just got out the safe is quite an amount of cash,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53as you can see, that we've seized
0:04:53 > 0:04:56and that will be coming with us.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59We think there's probably about £33,000 there.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03So, a big blow for the fakers and it gets worse for them.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07The director of the company has been arrested at his home address.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10That's where lead officer, DI Harsley, is heading now,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13as his team has made an intriguing discovery.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15I'm getting some messages
0:05:15 > 0:05:18that there's a slightly strange scenario there,
0:05:18 > 0:05:23in that there is a shop or something very similar,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25that's accessed via his back garden.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29I believe some Trading Standards officers have an interest in this
0:05:29 > 0:05:32and I just need to see what the situation is.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35DI Harsley arrives to oversee the search of the home
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and the nearby shop.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40I'm at the front door. Can you let me in, please?
0:05:40 > 0:05:45The fake champagne the team have been looking for could be hidden in here.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I've just been inside the home address.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50We've got a very unusual scenario.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55We've got an alcohol store next door which actually feeds an off-licence,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59the frontage of which goes onto an entirely different street.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03We clearly want to have a look in the off-licence,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06we clearly want to have a look in the alcohol store.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08The search has commenced.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12And it's in the alcohol store that Simon's team have finally found
0:06:12 > 0:06:16what they're looking for - bottles of fake and duty-evaded champagne.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20That's good news for the investigators here from Europol.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23They've been tracking counterfeit champagne across Europe
0:06:23 > 0:06:26and they suspect these fakes may have links
0:06:26 > 0:06:28to an organised crime group in Italy.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34The main suspect has been ordering the fake champagne from Italy.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39It's processed by an organised crime group, located in Italy,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42manufacturing and selling the bottles.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45They were production sized,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49they were manufacturing the labels, the corks, everything,
0:06:49 > 0:06:54so that the bottle can really look identical to the genuine one.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57And these show the tell-tale signs of being fake.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00The labelling and the branding don't seem consistent
0:07:00 > 0:07:04with the genuine product, so that's coming with us
0:07:04 > 0:07:06and we'll look to get that tested
0:07:06 > 0:07:09and look for an expert opinion on that.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13It's not only fake champagne on offer here
0:07:13 > 0:07:15that could pose a risk to public health.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Bottles of counterfeit vodka are also taken away.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23But there are more places to search.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25The police know of another warehouse down the road
0:07:25 > 0:07:27that's used by the business.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31And when they get there, they find more than 135 pallets
0:07:31 > 0:07:35of smuggled alcohol, including fake vodka.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43This is what over £200,000 of duty and VAT evasion looks like
0:07:43 > 0:07:47and Simon's spotted the signs of duty evasion on the labelling.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52There's a bottle of vodka here with a label on it.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56This alcohol is destined for a market outside the UK,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58therefore no duty's been paid on it.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04What is happening is that the label is peeled off -
0:08:04 > 0:08:07and an example of that has been found within the warehouse -
0:08:07 > 0:08:11and a counterfeit label has been placed on the bottle
0:08:11 > 0:08:15to indicate that the UK duty has been paid,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18which is intended to deceive, of course.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22We know that that is a counterfeit label.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26You've got some whiskies as well. You've got a similar scenario.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28And with many of the bottles,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31you can actually see the sticky of the original label
0:08:31 > 0:08:35outside the parameter of the label that's been put on there.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39But even sophisticated fakers, with links to organised crime,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41can slip up.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Looking at the label, I'm not even sure
0:08:43 > 0:08:45that's placed on the bottle straight,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48but that is a counterfeit label. We can tell from the markings there.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52But to seize all of these pallets of duty-evaded alcohol,
0:08:52 > 0:08:56the team will need help by the lorry load.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00The entire contents of the warehouse have been seized
0:09:00 > 0:09:03by Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs and, of course,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06the police will look into the counterfeiting side
0:09:06 > 0:09:08and any counterfeit labels,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11anything that's being sold that's a counterfeit product
0:09:11 > 0:09:14and actually look at what's being sold to the general public.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16So, yeah, a good day.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19And so the first of six 40-foot HGVs,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23carrying the seized alcohol, sets off.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25It's another win in the battle against the fakers.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28The company was later wound up
0:09:28 > 0:09:32with debts of around £8 million in unpaid taxes
0:09:32 > 0:09:34to Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Every year, around 50 people lose their lives
0:09:43 > 0:09:45to carbon monoxide poisoning.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48The gas can be released from appliances like a faulty cooker,
0:09:48 > 0:09:53boiler or wood-burning stove, but you can't see it or smell it.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55It's known as the silent killer.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59These devices should protect you and your home -
0:09:59 > 0:10:01carbon monoxide detectors.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04And these ones claim to meet the European standard,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06but their claims are fake.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Rely on one of these to protect you,
0:10:08 > 0:10:10and you could be putting your life at risk.
0:10:12 > 0:10:13Every year,
0:10:13 > 0:10:154,000 people end up in hospital
0:10:15 > 0:10:17with carbon monoxide poisoning.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Around 40 of those people die.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22With rising awareness of the dangers,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25more of us are buying carbon monoxide detectors
0:10:25 > 0:10:28to protect ourselves from the deadly gas.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33The fakers know there's profit to be made in safety devices.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35They're selling carbon monoxide detectors
0:10:35 > 0:10:38carrying fake safety claims that could put lives in danger.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45Gordon Samuel discovered the importance of these detectors
0:10:45 > 0:10:48soon after his daughter, Katie, got married.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52She was hugely popular.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57She was hugely attractive and pretty and she was very intelligent.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00She was just the most wonderful daughter.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04She was very, very happy in her job
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and it was the beginning of married life.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10One evening, Katie decided to run a bath.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14When her husband arrived home from work,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17he noticed something wasn't right.
0:11:18 > 0:11:23When he rang the bell and she didn't answer, he became quite concerned
0:11:23 > 0:11:26and opened the door with his key
0:11:26 > 0:11:31and he saw that the cat was unconscious...
0:11:32 > 0:11:34..in the kitchen.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37He called for her and she didn't answer.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42And he rushed into the bathroom
0:11:42 > 0:11:45and he found that she had been overcome
0:11:45 > 0:11:49by very, very lethal carbon monoxide fumes.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Without Katie's knowledge,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59her boiler had been leaking lethal levels of carbon monoxide.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05A young doctor came into the room
0:12:05 > 0:12:11and said, "I'm really sorry." And it was just...
0:12:13 > 0:12:17..one of those moments in life that you just don't want to remember.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23To say that I miss her now is just a huge understatement. I just...
0:12:24 > 0:12:26I can't articulate...
0:12:28 > 0:12:30..how much we miss her.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Katie died just weeks after her wedding day.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37It later transpired that she did, in fact,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40have a carbon monoxide detector
0:12:40 > 0:12:42but it had been left, unopened, in its packet.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48If they had known, they would have activated the alarm
0:12:48 > 0:12:51and if the alarm had sounded and she was...
0:12:51 > 0:12:56and they, all of us, were aware of what carbon monoxide was,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59she would have had a chance. She would probably have lived.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Gordon went on to set up a charity in Katie's name,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06campaigning for ALL homes
0:13:06 > 0:13:09to have a carbon monoxide detector installed by law.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14But the fakers know there's profit to be made
0:13:14 > 0:13:16out of safety-conscious consumers.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20Fake Britain has discovered that detectors are being sold online
0:13:20 > 0:13:22that could be dangerous.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26We decided to buy several detectors
0:13:26 > 0:13:29that were advertised as meeting European safety standards.
0:13:29 > 0:13:35We then sent them for testing at BSI, the British Standards Institution.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Expert Graham McKay thinks that the dangers of carbon monoxide
0:13:39 > 0:13:41are closer to home than we might think.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Many, many combustible appliances
0:13:43 > 0:13:46have the capability to produce carbon monoxide
0:13:46 > 0:13:48if they're not adjusted properly or installed properly.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53It kills somewhere in the region of 25 to 50 people a year in the UK.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56It's very hard to diagnose because the symptoms in mild cases
0:13:56 > 0:13:59are very often confused with a cold or the flu.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02The detectors we bought were advertised
0:14:02 > 0:14:04as meeting European safety standards
0:14:04 > 0:14:07but, at first glance, Graham's concerned.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11The product itself doesn't contain any of the warnings
0:14:11 > 0:14:14or information that the standard requires.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16It doesn't even tell me the name of the manufacturer.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20It doesn't have, crucially, the end-of-life information.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Carbon monoxide alarms have sensors that have finite lives,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26so it's important that you know when to replace it.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28They won't last forever.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Graham's also unimpressed by the incorrect advice
0:14:31 > 0:14:33given in the instructions.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35It tells you not to install in kitchens.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Kitchens are probably the biggest source
0:14:37 > 0:14:40of carbon monoxide-producing appliances in the UK,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42from cookers, boilers, water heaters.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44They are typically in kitchens.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48When a genuine carbon monoxide detector goes off for the first time
0:14:48 > 0:14:53after detecting high levels of the gas, its job isn't over.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57The detector must continue working and go on to detect further leaks
0:14:57 > 0:15:01in the future, in order to pass the European standard.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Graham needs to see if these are genuine detectors,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10so he'll simulate a catastrophic carbon monoxide leak from a boiler.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15This test mimics a scenario whereby maybe you have a release
0:15:15 > 0:15:18of a high level of carbon monoxide into your home.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Your alarm will detect that and go off, which is great.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24You'll then ventilate the space and take other preventative action.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Eventually, you'll go back into that space,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31thinking everything's OK and you need your alarm to operate again.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35First, the detectors are exposed to a dangerously high level
0:15:35 > 0:15:39of carbon monoxide - 5,000 parts per million -
0:15:39 > 0:15:43enough to render a person unconscious and kill them within minutes.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47ALARMS BEEP
0:15:51 > 0:15:55So far, so good. The detectors have passed the first part of the test.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57But, if their safety claims are fake,
0:15:57 > 0:16:02the sensors inside these detectors could actually be of poor quality.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Some cheaper sensors can be physically damaged.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07They can be poisoned, effectively, by these very high levels.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11If the alarm has been damaged, you could be putting yourself at risk,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13because the alarm is no longer functioning.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16The detectors are rested.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Then they're exposed to carbon monoxide at lower levels.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24It's time to see whether they will pass the European standard
0:16:24 > 0:16:27by going on to detect the silent killer gas once again,
0:16:27 > 0:16:28having already done so.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34They'll have to detect the gas and sound their alarms within 90 minutes.
0:16:36 > 0:16:4090 minutes later, and counting, they've failed to respond.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Two of the alarms didn't respond at all
0:16:44 > 0:16:48and one of the alarms has entered an erratic error mode,
0:16:48 > 0:16:53where it beeps occasionally but it's not going into a full alarm mode
0:16:53 > 0:16:55because it's not beeping continuously.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58The conclusion is that the high dose of CO has actually damaged them
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and affected their ability to accurately detect the gas.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06The performance of every carbon monoxide detector
0:17:06 > 0:17:09bought by Fake Britain was found to be unpredictable.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13The claims of compliance with the standard, in this instance,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16with these particular products, is fake.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18They don't comply and they obviously don't comply.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23We showed our findings to Gordon Samuel,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26who lost his daughter to carbon monoxide poisoning.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31It's very, very upsetting
0:17:31 > 0:17:34that these are finding their way onto the market.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40These fake carbon monoxide detectors cost us about £10 each.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45Campaigners like Gordon say that by spending just £10 or £20 more,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49customers can buy a reliable detector that they can really trust.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52You should be buying properly branded alarms,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54alarms that are compliant.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55You're putting our life at risk
0:17:55 > 0:17:58and you're putting your loved ones' lives at risk
0:17:58 > 0:18:01and you'd be a fool to buy something like this
0:18:01 > 0:18:04when the real thing's available and it could save your life.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14Take a look at these. Yes, two £2 coins.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17First made by the Royal Mint back in 1998,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20there are two different metal components,
0:18:20 > 0:18:25so it's complicated to manufacture and very difficult to counterfeit.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29The problem is, this one wasn't made by the Royal Mint.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31It was made by a faker.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34A leading expert has told us it's the best he's ever seen.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38So, how many are out there, who's making them
0:18:38 > 0:18:40and could you tell the difference?
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Previously, on Fake Britain, we've seen huge hoards of fake coins.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Here, police were raiding the premises of criminals
0:18:47 > 0:18:49churning out £1 fakes.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Coin bags. Loads.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55An estimated one in thirty £1 coins is fake.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58The Royal Mint is so concerned, they'll soon be introducing
0:18:58 > 0:19:03this new 12-sided pound coin to combat the counterfeiters.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07But now the fakers are turning their attention to the £2 coin.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10And that's a problem for Andy Brown.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14His company services coin-operated machines across the country.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16In the last year, he's seen an increase
0:19:16 > 0:19:19in the number and quality of the new £2 fakes.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24It's a far cry from how the coin-fakers started out.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27This was one of the early fakes that we found,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30which is really just a lump of lead-tin alloy
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and then spraying it gold to make it look like a genuine coin.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35That was then.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Now, fake £2 coins are getting much closer to the genuine article.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41The fakes have got much better.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43They can now be accepted in some of the vending machines
0:19:43 > 0:19:46and car park machines that are out in the field.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48For us, the concern is to try and stop the fakers
0:19:48 > 0:19:51before they really start getting going.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Today, Fake Britain has asked Andy to see if he can find
0:19:55 > 0:19:59any of the latest fake £2 coins in circulation.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04He's going to his local bank to withdraw £2,500-worth of £2 coins.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11He expects to find some fakes amongst all 1,250 of them.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15We're going to put them through the coin validator to see if any of them
0:20:15 > 0:20:18get rejected and then we can check to see whether they're counterfeits.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20This coin validator is identical
0:20:20 > 0:20:24to anything you'd find inside a ticket or vending machine.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27It takes 16 different measurements of the coin,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31including its width and weight, to work out if it's genuine or not.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36Any coin outside the validator gets rejected out of a different slot
0:20:36 > 0:20:38and generally would be returned back to the customer,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40if he was putting it in the machine.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45None of the coins from the bank have been rejected by the validator.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49But Andy knows the latest fakes are good enough to beat the machine.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52So, using his experience and a keen eye,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54he and a colleague sift through the coins
0:20:54 > 0:20:57to try and find anything unusual.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07Halfway through the batch, Andy spots something out of the ordinary.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11We've discovered a coin that looks a bit different to all the rest.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13It's a 2011, which is one of the years
0:21:13 > 0:21:17that we've got a number of counterfeit coins for already.
0:21:18 > 0:21:19This may look convincing,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23but there's a simple test to tell the fake from the real thing.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27If we go to a genuine coin, one of the quick and easiest tests
0:21:27 > 0:21:30to discover whether a coin is counterfeit,
0:21:30 > 0:21:34is to hold it up with the £2 at the top and the date at the bottom
0:21:34 > 0:21:36and then spin the coin on its axis.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40The Queen's head should be facing upwards,
0:21:40 > 0:21:41what we would call 12 o'clock.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44And on the fake, when we turn the head round,
0:21:44 > 0:21:46it's more like it's at 3 o'clock,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49so that one is definitely a counterfeit coin.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51But it's only by using a microscope
0:21:51 > 0:21:54that Andy can uncover the signature markings of a fake.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Now I've got the counterfeit and a genuine coin side by side
0:21:59 > 0:22:01and we're just checking the rim inscription
0:22:01 > 0:22:04to see what difference there is there and straightaway,
0:22:04 > 0:22:08when we look at the mint marks, the one on the bottom is a genuine coin.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11You can see the nice mint mark, which looks really well stamped.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14The one on the top is the counterfeit with the poor mint mark.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18As we go round the edge, the lettering is all totally different,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20the text is very poorly done.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23Particularly, the letter S is a very distinctive letter
0:22:23 > 0:22:25on this counterfeit, and the A's,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28which has got like a circle in the centre of it.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Next, Andy takes his find downstairs for computer analysis
0:22:34 > 0:22:38to have a more detailed look at the properties of the fake £2 coin.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43There you are. I'd like you to try and calibrate that one for us.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Here, he can measure the probability of the coin
0:22:46 > 0:22:49beating a vending machine in the outside world
0:22:49 > 0:22:51and there's no stopping this £2 fake.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54It beats the coin validator again and again -
0:22:54 > 0:22:5730 times out of 30 and beyond.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02We've now inserted the coin over 100 times
0:23:02 > 0:23:04and we've still got 100% acceptance rate.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Some vending operators deposit their money into a bank
0:23:07 > 0:23:11via a cash centre. So, if this coin can be accepted by a validator,
0:23:11 > 0:23:15it would generally be accepted as a genuine coin in a sorting machine,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18so they won't be able to take them out of circulation.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21It's thought that there are hundreds of thousands
0:23:21 > 0:23:24of fake £2 coins in circulation.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27But with the latest fakes able to fool a machine,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29can they also fool consumers?
0:23:29 > 0:23:31It's a normal £2 coin, isn't it?
0:23:31 > 0:23:35It looks like the genuine article. A normal £2 coin.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37If you're walking the streets
0:23:37 > 0:23:40and you're exchanging this very quickly,
0:23:40 > 0:23:42you wouldn't know the difference.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Fake Britain wanted to know
0:23:44 > 0:23:47what the experts make of the new high-end £2 fakes.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52We arranged for Andy to take it to the Goldsmiths' Company,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54an assay office in the heart of London
0:23:54 > 0:23:58that's tested and hallmarked precious metals for nearly seven centuries.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06Every year, they check and approve a selection of Britain's coinage.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Goldsmiths' Dave Merry is here to analyse Andy's fake £2 coin.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- Been a busy man, by the look of it! - We have, yes.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19- This is one we found last week which is of a much better quality.- Yeah.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21It's been accepted by most of the vending machines.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Blooming hell, you can see why, on that.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Dave Merry's immediately impressed by the look of the coin,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31but you can also tell a lot about a coin by how much it weighs.
0:24:31 > 0:24:36So, Dave puts the fake £2 coin to the test, using his scales.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43The Royal Mint's published weight for a genuine £2 coin is 12g.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46We've just weighed the counterfeit one
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and, again, we're getting a reading of 12g.
0:24:48 > 0:24:54It's remarkably close to a genuine Royal Mint coin.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00The weight of the fake £2 coin matches that of a real one,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02but Dave wants to know exactly what the fake is made of
0:25:02 > 0:25:05and, to do that, he'll have to X-ray it.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08The great thing about this bit of kit is it will give you
0:25:08 > 0:25:11a readout and percentages of all those different elements
0:25:11 > 0:25:14that go to make up a coin.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17A genuine £2 coin is bimetallic,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21meaning it's made up of two different copper-nickel alloy metals.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25This makes the outer rim gold and the inner part bright silver.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29The bimetallic feature was introduced by the Royal Mint
0:25:29 > 0:25:32to make it harder for the fakers to copy coins.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38First, Dave shows us the composition of the inner part of a genuine coin.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42It's just over 70% copper and nearly 30% nickel.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Now, how about the composition of the fake?
0:25:49 > 0:25:54We can see, straightaway, we've got 68% copper, 31% nickel
0:25:54 > 0:25:56and there's a trace element of iron in there.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59This is a very good fake.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03The figures look much closer
0:26:03 > 0:26:06than I've seen previously for other fake coins.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09That coincides with what we've seen with the validators,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11where it's been accepted by some of the validators,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14so it would seem that the metal content is, obviously,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16fairly close to that of a genuine coin.
0:26:16 > 0:26:22The outer yellow ring of a genuine £2 coin also contains the metal zinc.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26The fakers have even managed to get that into their fake.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29We've got nickel, copper and 14.2% zinc,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32so we've got the added element there now,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35which wasn't in the middle part, which is the zinc.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38So, a really good-quality fake.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40If experts are having difficulty,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43consumers have got no hope of being able to tell the difference.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47We showed the results of our tests on the fake £2 coin
0:26:47 > 0:26:51to Robert Matthews, a former Assay Master of the Royal Mint.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56This is certainly the best £2 counterfeit that I've seen.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Robert's concerned about the implications
0:27:00 > 0:27:03of the huge amount of effort that's gone into this fake £2 coin.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09It is worrying that this counterfeit and the alloys used
0:27:09 > 0:27:11point to a sophistication
0:27:11 > 0:27:15which tends to point towards organised crime being used.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Once organised crime is starting to get involved,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21we are going to have more and more of a problem.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22We reported our discovery
0:27:22 > 0:27:26of this sophisticated fake £2 coin to the Royal Mint.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28They told us they...
0:27:33 > 0:27:36They also told us that forgers would require...
0:27:42 > 0:27:48Difficult to produce, but they are being produced in their thousands.
0:27:48 > 0:27:53Recently, over 550,000 bimetallic euro coins were seized
0:27:53 > 0:27:55in the port of Naples on the way from Shanghai.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Experts are worried that shipments of similar £2 fakes
0:28:00 > 0:28:02could be arriving on our shores.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06The £2 counterfeiting is entering a new stage
0:28:06 > 0:28:10and this should be tackled now, whether it means changing the coin.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13We need to be thinking seriously now
0:28:13 > 0:28:16about how to increase the security of the £2 coin.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.