0:00:02 > 0:00:05Welcome to a world where nothing is as it seems.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11- Police! - SHOUTING
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- Get down! Get down! - Get on the floor now.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Put your hands behind your back now.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Here at the Fake Britain house,
0:00:27 > 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 > 0:00:35We'll investigate the fraudsters
0:00:35 > 0:00:39who are selling us something that isn't real and could be dangerous,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42and we'll help you avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Today on Fake Britain,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49the fake taxis putting passengers in danger...
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Mr Elahi wasn't a taxi driver. Mr Elahi's car was not a taxi.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57..the fake celebrity endorsements tempting shoppers into spending,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00and losing, hundreds of pounds...
0:01:00 > 0:01:02How I felt was they literally mugged me,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05pulled out my purse from my bag and took the money.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06..fakes in the frame -
0:01:06 > 0:01:09the camera equipment that isn't what it seems...
0:01:09 > 0:01:13I couldn't believe it. They said, "Do you know this camera's a fake?"
0:01:13 > 0:01:17..and the faker who cashed in on Cornish art.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20That one was priced at £20,000 to £30,000.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28If you're planning to take a minicab,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31there are some things you can check to make sure it's safe.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Does the vehicle have a taxi licence?
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Does the company have an operator's licence?
0:01:36 > 0:01:40And does the driver have a private hire licence?
0:01:40 > 0:01:41In many parts of the country,
0:01:41 > 0:01:45you can now do these checks with the authorities easily online.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47And it's worth checking. Look at this.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49It's a booking form from a cab company.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It says, "Fully licensed and insured for private hire."
0:01:52 > 0:01:55But those claims are fake.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Fake minicabs across the UK are putting people's lives at risk.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05There are now around a quarter of a million vehicles
0:02:05 > 0:02:08with taxi licences on our roads.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12About a third of those are hackney carriages, or taxis,
0:02:12 > 0:02:17but 150,000 of them are private hire vehicles, or minicabs.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20As Sarah Thompson from Northamptonshire found out,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22some of those minicabs are fake,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25unlicensed and potentially dangerous.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36One night, Sarah was out with her friends in Birmingham.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40We went out on the Saturday night, we were staying at a hotel
0:02:40 > 0:02:44and I got a lot drunker than I was expecting to get.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48I thought it was best that I go home to the hotel, sleep it off.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Thinking she was doing the right thing,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Sarah headed for a taxi rank and found a minicab.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57I asked them to take me back to the hotel
0:02:57 > 0:02:59cos I thought it'd be safer to get into a taxi
0:02:59 > 0:03:02than try and find my way home walking.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08But the minicab driver didn't take her straight back to the hotel.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11Instead, he pulled up on a side road.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15I remember him climbing over into the passenger side
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and leaning over me, started kissing me
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and I remember gripping the seat just thinking,
0:03:21 > 0:03:26"I need to just let what happens happen
0:03:26 > 0:03:29"cos I'll probably end up worse if I try and fight him."
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Sort of froze in fear.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Sarah was seriously assaulted by the minicab driver,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39but she managed to escape.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42So, I got out of the taxi
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and I was just walking up the street in a bit of a daze,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49and then that's when it hit me. I started running and panicking
0:03:49 > 0:03:53and I saw this car coming down towards me,
0:03:53 > 0:03:56so I ran out in the road in front of that to make it stop,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00and two girls got out of the back and they helped me,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and I told them what had happened and they called the police.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06I started panicking then that I didn't know what had happened
0:04:06 > 0:04:08cos I couldn't remember it all.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10I don't remember anything till I woke up
0:04:10 > 0:04:14and there was all these police officers and paramedics around me.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Sarah's attacker was driving an unlicensed minicab.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22He was caught and jailed for five years.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24But there are other risks that come with fake minicabs,
0:04:24 > 0:04:28from being overcharged to being driven in a car that's uninsured.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32In Birmingham, it's PC Dave Humpherson's job
0:04:32 > 0:04:34to keep minicab passengers safe.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Tonight, he's leading Operation Amethyst,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41which is tasked with cracking down on private hire vehicles
0:04:41 > 0:04:43that are operating illegally.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45They may be a revoked-licence driver
0:04:45 > 0:04:48that, at some stage, has been caught for an offence,
0:04:48 > 0:04:49no longer have a licence.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53So, what they will do is they will get hold of some either fake plates
0:04:53 > 0:04:56or they may have stolen some plates. They'll put them on the vehicle.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Straightaway, it looks like a licensed vehicle.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Tonight, the officers are patrolling the streets
0:05:02 > 0:05:06in search of fake and illegal minicab drivers.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I'm going to drop two officers off on foot
0:05:10 > 0:05:12and I'm going to get into a position
0:05:12 > 0:05:15where I can observe them approaching vehicles.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20The undercover officers pretend to be late-night partygoers
0:05:20 > 0:05:22in search of a cab.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24The one that takes their fare doesn't know
0:05:24 > 0:05:28that he'll shortly be pulled over by a police bike.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Alpha one. Subject vehicle is a silver Mercedes.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36No deviation. Speed - 30. Newhall Street.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40The driver was later questioned and it was discovered
0:05:40 > 0:05:43he was operating in the wrong county, which is illegal.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Later, another team stops a second minicab driver
0:05:50 > 0:05:53who's found to be taking illegal fares.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56'Can you just follow me, at the roundabout,
0:05:56 > 0:05:59'just back into Morrisons and stop there?'
0:05:59 > 0:06:01He knows there's some money to be made. It's very easy money.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03He'll take them. He'll take the risk.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05And, unfortunately, on this occasion for him,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08it's police officers that he's picked up.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10We've caught four pliers so far tonight.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13We've only been out a few hours. No fake plates that we're aware of.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17I've got no doubts that there are people about in this city tonight.
0:06:17 > 0:06:18It's a good result for the team
0:06:18 > 0:06:21tasked with catching illegal minicabs.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23They know that the fakes are out there.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29In Bradford, Josh Ripley was violently beaten unconscious
0:06:29 > 0:06:31after getting in to a fake minicab.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37And one night, PC Jason Dooley came face-to-face with one.
0:06:40 > 0:06:45He saw a minicab being flagged down by passengers and taking the fare.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Plying for hire is illegal,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50so PC Dooley followed the car on his police bike
0:06:50 > 0:06:52and pulled over the driver.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54I spoke through the open window
0:06:54 > 0:06:56and I just asked, "Lads, have you booked this taxi?"
0:06:56 > 0:06:58And they both said, "No, we're just doing it now."
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I've then asked them to get out of the taxi cos it's not booked
0:07:01 > 0:07:03and the driver's committing an offence.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05I've then told the driver to follow me.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11But the minicab driver had other ideas and sped off,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15leaving PC Dooley no option but to give chase.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16I heard a wheel spin.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20He then went the wrong side of the road through a No Entry sign.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24When he got on to the dual carriageway, he slowed down.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26I think he realised that, "I'm not getting away from
0:07:26 > 0:07:28"a police motorcyclist, so I'm just going to give up."
0:07:28 > 0:07:31And that's when I've arrested him for dangerous driving.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33He had taxi plates on the car.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35It was emblazoned with taxi door numbers.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I assumed it was a legal taxi.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41But after arresting the driver, the truth emerged.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44The plates displayed were expired and they weren't in his name.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Mr Elahi wasn't a taxi driver.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Mr Elahi's car was not a taxi.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53But when we interviewed Mr Elahi,
0:07:53 > 0:07:54he stated that it was a one-off,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57but we proved that it was numerous times -
0:07:57 > 0:07:59he was using this vehicle as a fake taxi.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Fake cab driver Babu Elahi admitted dangerous driving,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08fraud by false representation and driving without insurance.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12He was jailed for four years, suspended for two years,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and banned from driving for 12 months.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16There are fake taxis out there.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19If you get into the rear of a fake taxi,
0:08:19 > 0:08:21they are not checked, they are not monitored,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24so they could be anybody, and it's a danger to the public.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Celebrities sell, and they get everywhere.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35You'll find them endorsing everything from cars to crisps,
0:08:35 > 0:08:39teabags to trainers, all in the hope that we'll buy the product
0:08:39 > 0:08:43because we're convinced that if they like it, it must be OK.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Perhaps some of their magic may rub off on us.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49But if you're impressed that someone you admire endorses a product
0:08:49 > 0:08:50and you decide to buy,
0:08:50 > 0:08:54can you be sure the celebrity actually has anything to do with it?
0:08:54 > 0:08:57What if the endorsement is a fake?
0:08:58 > 0:09:02This is a genuine advert for a well-known bank
0:09:02 > 0:09:04featuring Olympic athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill
0:09:04 > 0:09:07and racing driver Jenson Button.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09You name the celebrity
0:09:09 > 0:09:12and the chances are their face is being used in an advert like this.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15More than a quarter of shoppers have bought something
0:09:15 > 0:09:18because it was being promoted by a well-known personality.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22And one such shopper is Tanya Worsfold
0:09:22 > 0:09:24from Clackmannanshire in Scotland.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27She'd been thinking about going on a diet when, one day,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30she saw an advert online about a slimming supplement
0:09:30 > 0:09:32called raspberry ketones.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36It was accompanied by a picture of comedian Dawn French.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39And I really like Dawn French. I've followed her for years.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41As a comedian, I think she's brilliant,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43and I'd been to see her recently in her show,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47and it was about her losing weight and what she'd done.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52The supplement raspberry ketones are a natural plant extract.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Some people think they help with slimming,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58and they're widely available in high-street health-food shops.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00The advert suggested that the supplements
0:10:00 > 0:10:03had helped Dawn French to lose weight,
0:10:03 > 0:10:08and a trial pack was being offered at 50% off the normal price.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11What it suggested was that Dawn French was
0:10:11 > 0:10:13endorsing the product and that, you know,
0:10:13 > 0:10:17she'd used that same product to help her with weight loss.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Well, it certainly makes you think, "Oh, if Dawn French is using it,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23"it must be all right, then, cos she was looking so good."
0:10:23 > 0:10:25So, Tanya bought the supplements.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27When they arrived, she started to take them,
0:10:27 > 0:10:31but after taking a closer look, she began to have doubts.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36They looked cheap and the labels weren't put on straight
0:10:36 > 0:10:39and I just thought, "You know, I've bought something over the internet.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42"It could be anything. It could be rat poison."
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Tanya decided to stop taking the pills
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and thought no more about them.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50She assumed she'd lost a bit of money on a one-off bad purchase,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54but a few weeks later, she received a parcel.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57I got, through the post, another packet of the vitamins -
0:10:57 > 0:11:01two packs - with a bill saying I think it was £80.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03I thought, "Oh, God!"
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Tanya phoned the company to tell them they must have made a mistake.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08And they said no, this was right,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12that I had signed up for a 12-month supply.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14I said, "Well, I didn't," and they said,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16"Well, you didn't read all the terms and conditions."
0:11:16 > 0:11:21Having been lured in by a supposed endorsement from Dawn French,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Tanya now found herself caught in a so-called subscription trap.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Customers are hooked in with a free trial or discount for a product,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32but if the trial isn't cancelled within a certain time,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35the company starts to take regular payments
0:11:35 > 0:11:37from the target's bank account.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40I don't even remember ticking a box, but I must have done.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42I thought it was a one-off purchase.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44I thought the bottle was valued at a tenner
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and they were giving it to you for 50%.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Worried about losing even more money,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53she contacted her bank and cancelled the direct debit,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57but by now, the company had taken over £300 from Tanya,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00which she still hasn't recovered.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02When I realised how much money they were taking out,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I just felt like I'd been mugged.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07How I felt was I was walking along the street,
0:12:07 > 0:12:08they literally mugged me,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11pulled out my purse from my bag and took the money.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I realised that the endorsement was fake
0:12:14 > 0:12:16and, yes, you know, it couldn't have been anything
0:12:16 > 0:12:18to do with Dawn French. It was just a con.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21But Tanya's not the only shopper
0:12:21 > 0:12:24to have fallen for a fake celebrity endorsement.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Mike Andrews from the National Trading Standards
0:12:27 > 0:12:30eCrime Team is leading a crackdown on subscription traps.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34The latest intelligence and reports we have suggest that
0:12:34 > 0:12:37the total loss does run into and millions of pounds a year.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39We're aware of one bank that reported
0:12:39 > 0:12:42that 37,000 of their consumers have been the victim
0:12:42 > 0:12:44of some sort of subscription trap,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46so these traders are making a significant profit
0:12:46 > 0:12:48out of these scams.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Dawn French's agent told Fake Britain that...
0:13:02 > 0:13:05But Dawn French is just one of many celebrities
0:13:05 > 0:13:07having their identities faked by companies
0:13:07 > 0:13:09who are trying to sell products.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Lorraine Kelly and Fern Britton have been quick to issue public denials
0:13:13 > 0:13:18after their images were used without their consent to peddle products.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Some celebrities have even had their identities faked
0:13:22 > 0:13:25by criminals out to commit fraud.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Finance expert Martin Lewis is the founder
0:13:29 > 0:13:32of the MoneySavingExpert.com website.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36His advice is trusted by millions of consumers,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40and because of that, he's a regular target for the fakers.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I've had problems for years with people knocking on people's doors
0:13:44 > 0:13:47or calling them up pretending to have some form of linkage with me
0:13:47 > 0:13:50or with MoneySavingExpert.com.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55Recently, fraudsters actually pretended to be Martin
0:13:55 > 0:13:58in order to persuade pensioners to hand over their money,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01either to get tax rebates that didn't exist
0:14:01 > 0:14:05or to protect themselves against a fraud that hadn't even happened.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08This is pure fakery. They were using my name,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11they were using MoneySavingExpert.com's name
0:14:11 > 0:14:13because we're trusted,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16to try and get into vulnerable, elderly people's houses,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19the type of people I spend my life campaigning to protect.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22It makes me feel physically sick.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Remember this is a salesperson, or, potentially, even worse -
0:14:25 > 0:14:29a fake salesperson, a scammer, trying to get your money.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Anybody knocking on your door, calling you up
0:14:31 > 0:14:34saying they represent me or this website is a liar.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Whether it is to push a product or a scam,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41using fake celebrity endorsements on social media
0:14:41 > 0:14:45to convince consumers to part with money is now a real threat.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Many adverts are being endorsed by fake tweets,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52like this one purporting to be from none other
0:14:52 > 0:14:55than the Duchess of Cambridge herself.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Rest assured, neither she nor any of the other stars featured here
0:14:58 > 0:15:00are linked, in any way,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03with the products they appear to be promoting.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04Of course, it's all fake
0:15:04 > 0:15:08and it's all designed to try and get the consumer enticed onto the site
0:15:08 > 0:15:11where they'll be parted with their hard-earned money.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12For customers like Tanya,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15being targeted by a fake celebrity endorsement
0:15:15 > 0:15:17has cost her more than just money.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20It was really highly unpleasant,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23and it wasn't so much about the loss of the money, although that hurt,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26you felt stupid and robbed.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36This digital camera is packed with technology
0:15:36 > 0:15:39and can deliver a brilliant and memorable picture.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41It's expensive, of course,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44but I have the security of knowing that if anything goes wrong,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47there's a warranty, so it can be fixed or even replaced.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Well, that's what WOULD happen with a genuine camera.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52This one is fake.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56So is all this camera equipment, and as we're about to find out,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00even the professionals can find it hard to spot the difference.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04These days, it seems everyone is into photography.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09The global photographic market is now worth over £50 billion.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13But some budding British photographers
0:16:13 > 0:16:17are being duped into buying cameras that aren't what they appear to be.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Eager photographers snapping up what looks like an online bargain
0:16:21 > 0:16:24could be in for a nasty surprise.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Tristan Findley is a professional photographer
0:16:28 > 0:16:31with a successful photography business.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36He needs reliable camera equipment and backup if it lets him down.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38I need to have equipment that's fully supported
0:16:38 > 0:16:41by the manufacturer's warranty. It has to be reliable.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43I need to know that I can get a replacement camera
0:16:43 > 0:16:45sent from the manufacturer in a very short amount of time
0:16:45 > 0:16:48to carry on with whatever it is I'm shooting.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53Tristan needed to buy a new Canon Digital SLR called the 7D.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57It's a professional camera which cost around £1,600 at the time,
0:16:57 > 0:16:59without lenses.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02He found one online for £100 less than that.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Everything seemed 100% normal. The camera was in its original box.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10There was nothing untoward about it at all.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Tristan had no reason to think anything was wrong,
0:17:12 > 0:17:17until he decided to go on a photography trip abroad.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Like a car, you tend to service a car before you go on a long trip.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22I decided to do the same with the camera.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I sent it back to Canon for their professional service.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Canon checked the camera's unique serial number against their records.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34The serial number is used to trace the origins of the camera.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38They came back to me and said, "The serial number's been changed
0:17:38 > 0:17:43"and we don't make a Canon with a seven-digit serial number."
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Canon stated that, because of that, it was classed by them
0:17:46 > 0:17:50as counterfeit and was not eligible for any warranty.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Tristan had unwittingly bought a grey-import camera
0:17:54 > 0:17:57destined for sale outside Europe.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59In the US and Asia, different manuals,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02accessories and warranties are offered.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05We spoke to Lee Boniface from Canon.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07So, this product is made for the Asian market.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10What's happened here, the importer has taken off
0:18:10 > 0:18:12the serial number on the side of the box.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16That should match the serial number on the bottom of the camera there.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19And I've got one here that's been put on over the top
0:18:19 > 0:18:20of the genuine serial number.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23That serial number doesn't mean anything, and therefore,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25this consumer who bought this product, unfortunately,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27they wouldn't have a valid warranty.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Fake serial numbers don't show up on Canon's database,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33making the identity of the camera impossible to trace.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Tristan bought his camera in the UK,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40but it was a camera intended by Canon for sale in Asia,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44not Europe or the UK. He bought it online.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Some online shops are able to sell grey imports
0:18:47 > 0:18:49at low prices because, that way,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52they avoid paying the correct tax or duties
0:18:52 > 0:18:55when the camera enters the UK. Left without a warranty,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57Tristan was lucky that nothing had gone wrong
0:18:57 > 0:18:59with his camera on the shoot.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Photos capture a moment in time and if that moment passes,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04it doesn't come back.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07But what if something had gone wrong?
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Photographer Craig Skinner bought
0:19:09 > 0:19:12a Nikon D7000 digital SLR camera online
0:19:12 > 0:19:15for a discounted £600.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18But on his first big wedding photography job,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20something went wrong.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23I could tell something wasn't quite right.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26The autofocus just wasn't working properly.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30The results of the autofocus failure were disastrous for Craig's photos.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32In the photo, the couple weren't sharp,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34they weren't in focus. Just not usable.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I would never give an image like that to a client.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Back home, Craig called Nikon about the faulty camera.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46They told him to send it in as it should still be under warranty.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49They said basically, "Do you know this camera's a fake?"
0:19:49 > 0:19:51I couldn't believe it.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54The serial number on the bottom of the camera had been replaced
0:19:54 > 0:19:56with another one.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Craig wasn't covered by a warranty.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Like Tristan, he'd unwittingly bought a grey-import camera,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06but in his case, the camera was actually faulty.
0:20:06 > 0:20:07With a faked serial number,
0:20:07 > 0:20:12there was no way of knowing whether it was even a genuine Nikon product.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14We spoke to Nikon about Craig's case.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18They said, "We can confirm that the serial number on the camera
0:20:18 > 0:20:20"which Mr Skinner purchased was tampered with
0:20:20 > 0:20:23"by an unknown third party, which, unfortunately,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26"invalidates the product warranty.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29"In order to avoid the problems Mr Skinner faced,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32"we recommend customers check the list of approved retailers
0:20:32 > 0:20:36"on the Nikon website for guaranteed satisfaction."
0:20:37 > 0:20:41Back at Canon, Lee comes across fakes on a daily basis,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43and it's not just high-end cameras.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Even point-and-shoot compact cameras are being faked.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50This is a counterfeit Canon camera.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53It's actually not a Canon camera at all.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54If you switch the product on,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57you can see it even comes up with the Canon logo.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01The fakers are smart enough to have programmed the software
0:21:01 > 0:21:04in this camera to tell you it's a Canon,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06even though it's not.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Lee's concerned about the safety of some of the fake camera equipment,
0:21:09 > 0:21:10like this charger.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14You can see on this fake product already
0:21:14 > 0:21:16this wire has come loose.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18You could get a very nasty electric shock.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21If you also happen to have a fake Canon battery,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24the combination of the two could actually be quite dangerous.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26The charger would not be protecting the battery
0:21:26 > 0:21:29and we don't know how stable and how well that battery was being made.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Photographers Tristan and Chris
0:21:31 > 0:21:34have had their fingers burned with online shopping.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36They won't be making the same mistake again.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40It has made me a lot more cautious,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43and now I won't always seek out the cheapest price.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45If I was going to buy another camera or lens,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49I would go into a reputable camera shop every time.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58This picture looks as though
0:21:58 > 0:22:00it might have been painted by a child, doesn't it?
0:22:00 > 0:22:04A simple picture of a boat in a harbour in Cornwall.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07I really like it. It's signed A Wallis.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10In fact, Alfred Wallis took up painting late in life
0:22:10 > 0:22:11after his wife died.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14He's one of Britain's most admired artists,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16and his pictures hang in Tate Britain.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18If this had been painted by him,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20it would be worth thousands, but it wasn't.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24It's a fake, and Wallis fakes have fooled a lot of people.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34For centuries, the beautiful scenery of Cornwall
0:22:34 > 0:22:37has inspired generations of artists.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39One of the best-known is Alfred Wallis,
0:22:39 > 0:22:42a local fisherman born in 1855
0:22:42 > 0:22:45who painted in a childlike style known as naive,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47ignoring perspective
0:22:47 > 0:22:50and painting on scraps of cardboard with boat paint.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Today, Wallis's work is sought after by collectors.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Graham Bazely is an art auctioneer and expert on the artist,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03and so when he was shown a Wallis by one of his regular customers,
0:23:03 > 0:23:04he was very excited.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08A lady customer came in one Saturday morning
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and I said to her, "You're looking very cheerful this morning."
0:23:11 > 0:23:13She said, "Yes, I'm absolutely thrilled.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16"I've bought an Alfred Wallis."
0:23:16 > 0:23:19As a Wallis fan, Graham was keen to see the new painting
0:23:19 > 0:23:22that his customer had spent £5,000 on.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Well, we're seeing what is basically a naive picture
0:23:25 > 0:23:27of sailing boats in a harbour,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30which is just typical of the kinds of things
0:23:30 > 0:23:33that Alfred Wallis painted.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35The woman had bought the painting
0:23:35 > 0:23:37from a gallery in the small town of Hayle,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40where she'd been reassured of its provenance -
0:23:40 > 0:23:42that's the record of who'd previously owned it
0:23:42 > 0:23:44and where it came from.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Part of this provenance was the view of a well-respected art expert
0:23:47 > 0:23:49known to Graham.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Well, I immediately e-mailed him.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53He'd been quoted out of context
0:23:53 > 0:23:56and, indeed, his e-mail actually stated, you know,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59"Do not quote me on this. I have not seen the painting."
0:23:59 > 0:24:04By now, Graham was concerned about the piece of artwork,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07so he contacted the gallery owner, David Carter,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09suggesting a refund for the customer.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11But he didn't get the answer he was expecting.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15The response was a long and rambling letter -
0:24:15 > 0:24:17it was rather arrogant -
0:24:17 > 0:24:21which said, "My opinion is as good as everyone else's,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25"and I'm as much authority on Alfred Wallis as anyone."
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Graham was beginning to suspect
0:24:29 > 0:24:32that the painting might not be all it seemed,
0:24:32 > 0:24:37so he contacted Officer Ben Adams at Cornwall Trading Standards,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40who was also unable to establish the provenance of the painting.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43She had been told it had documented history,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46provenance to it, and it turned out that
0:24:46 > 0:24:48it was a very vague, patchy history,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52simply not authenticated by any paperwork.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Rumours were starting to circulate about the Hayle gallery
0:24:55 > 0:24:57and its plethora of Alfred Wallis paintings.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02They had a whole series of paintings on their website
0:25:02 > 0:25:05and everyone said to me, "Who is that man
0:25:05 > 0:25:08"who thinks he's got a collection of Alfred Wallis paintings?"
0:25:09 > 0:25:14The woman who bought the paintings gave Trading Standards a statement,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17but there was only one way to tell for sure whether it was a fake,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20and that was to get it tested.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25So, it was sent to a company called Art Analysis & Research,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29experts in the forensic examination of paintings.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33Dr Nicholas Eastaugh examined the work.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37What we specialise in is looking at the materials of paintings.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40When the team looked at the supposed Wallis painting,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43their verdict was unequivocal.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44One of the things that popped out
0:25:44 > 0:25:46was a pigment called titanium dioxide - white -
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and that's quite key because it's too late for the artist.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52It was introduced later in the 20th century,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54so he wouldn't have had access to it,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56therefore, to find it in a painting means that
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Wallis can't have created that painting.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03The paintings were definitely fake.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06Trading Standards finally now had enough evidence
0:26:06 > 0:26:09to raid David Carter's gallery.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10Then obtained a number of items,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13including five or six paintings in total,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15together with a computer,
0:26:15 > 0:26:19a number of documents, including invoices, receipts.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21That allowed us to piece together
0:26:21 > 0:26:23basically the history of the paintings.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27For all Carter's tall stories about his Alfred Wallis paintings,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Trading Standards were about to discover invoices
0:26:30 > 0:26:33that revealed their humble origins.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34One in particular was described
0:26:34 > 0:26:36as an item in the style of Alfred Wallis.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Now, that clearly showed that he bought the item
0:26:39 > 0:26:41effectively as a fake.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Carter was buying fake art from online traders
0:26:44 > 0:26:48with unconvincing names, including Timeless Tat.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51The works only cost Carter a few hundred pounds each,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54yet he was selling them at a huge mark-up,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57in some cases tens of thousands of pounds.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00So, you've got three paintings along the back there
0:27:00 > 0:27:02which are all from the same supplier.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05Those cost around about £500 each.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07The one on the left was up for a price
0:27:07 > 0:27:09of about £30,000 to £50,000,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13that one in the middle there was priced at £20,000 to £30,000,
0:27:13 > 0:27:17and the one on the right-hand side, that was as much as £18,000.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20It was sold for £5,000 in the end.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Trading Standards were now confident
0:27:22 > 0:27:25they had enough evidence to press charges.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28It was clear that we were talking about fraud here.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Mr Carter was being dishonest, basically.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34David Carter was charged with seven counts of fraud.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37At the last moment, he pleaded guilty
0:27:37 > 0:27:40and received a suspended 12-month prison sentence,
0:27:40 > 0:27:45200 hours of community service and £50,000 in costs.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50But Carter's legacy of fakery lives on.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53I would hazard a guess that the majority of them
0:27:53 > 0:27:54probably still exist.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56People might not be aware that they're in the possession
0:27:56 > 0:28:00of something which is worth a tiny fraction of what they paid for it.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.