0:00:02 > 0:00:05Welcome to a world where nothing is as it seems.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- Get him!- Get him. - Get on the floor now!
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Put your hands behind your back now!
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Here at the Fake Britain house,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29we'll review 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 something
0:00:36 > 0:00:39that 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 teeth whitening fakers that ruined this woman's teeth.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52I started noticing something chipping away.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56- And it was part of my tooth. - Open the door, please.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01Head-phonies - the fake headphones that could give you an earful.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04This serrated metal piece fell off.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06That piece would have gone in my ear.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11The fake halogen heaters that are too hot to handle.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15I panicked. There was a flame coming off of it. It had caught fire.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22Creating a whiter than white celebrity smile
0:01:22 > 0:01:25has become an industry worth millions.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Many of us are prepared to spend a lot of money on a sparkly smile,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32and teeth whitening treatments can cost hundreds of pounds.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37But fakers selling illegal products, or posing as licensed technicians,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40are only too happy to relieve people of that money.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Check out these dazzling Hollywood grins.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50With more and more celebrities showing their sparkling rows of pearly whites,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54it's no surprise that demand for teeth whitening products and services is shooting up.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00We now spend more than £100 million a year
0:02:00 > 0:02:02on whitening toothpastes alone.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Three in ten of us don't like the look of our teeth.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Like Ruth Clements from Dorset, who thought hers were a bit too yellow.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16I do drink a lot of black coffee and the occasional glass of red wine.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18It does stain your teeth.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21So, yeah, I wanted a nice smile.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26One day, Ruth was at an agricultural fair, the Royal Welsh Show,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29when she spotted a stall selling home teeth whitening kits.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34There were huge placards that were advertising the product,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37very attractive women with very white teeth.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40The advertising for the teeth whitening product made specific,
0:02:40 > 0:02:44reassuring claims that it was recommended by leading dentists,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48whitening teeth in just one day and was safe to use.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53So Ruth bought the kit for £30 and took it home to give it a try.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57I was to apply the solution onto a guard
0:02:57 > 0:03:00and go to sleep with this product on.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04And the plan was, in the morning, - hey presto, you've got white teeth.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07So that's what Ruth did.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10But she wasn't prepared for what happened next.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14My gums started to burn after a very short time.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17And a tingling sensation. Most uncomfortable.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20And it very soon became painful.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Ruth immediately removed the mouth guard
0:03:22 > 0:03:24and rinsed her mouth with cold water.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27But the next morning, she was still in pain.
0:03:27 > 0:03:32I had ulcers on my top set of gums and my lips were very sore.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36And these ulcers lasted for five to six days.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40The salesman had told Ruth there was a money back guarantee,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42so she packaged up the product
0:03:42 > 0:03:45and sent it back to the company for a refund.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47But that didn't go as planned.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49I got the package back unopened.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52The Post Office wrote across it, "gone away".
0:03:52 > 0:03:54The company had vanished.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56And Ruth was starting to realise
0:03:56 > 0:03:59that these safety claims made on the teeth whitening kit were fake.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04And she wasn't the only one.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Clive Jones from Powys Trading Standards
0:04:07 > 0:04:09also had his eye on the company.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Officers bought some of the products and sent them off for testing.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16They were shocked at the results.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21High levels of hydrogen peroxide, 11%,
0:04:21 > 0:04:25which is 110 times the actual legal limit.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29The safety claims on these teeth whitening kits were fake.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32They weren't safe to use, due to high levels of hydrogen peroxide,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36which is the bleaching agent used for whitening teeth.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40In the UK, products sold on the high street can legally only contain
0:04:40 > 0:04:42a tiny amount of the active ingredient -
0:04:42 > 0:04:44just 0.1%.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48That's the amount found in whitening toothpastes.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52Anything stronger than that, up to the legal limit of 6%,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54must be administered by a qualified dentist,
0:04:54 > 0:04:59a dental hygienist or therapist working to a dentist's prescription.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03We spoke to Dr Uchenna Okoye from the British Dental Association.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Teeth whitening is a serious procedure.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09I would consider it a medical procedure,
0:05:09 > 0:05:14because the product actually gets into the pores of your teeth.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16So if it's done incorrectly,
0:05:16 > 0:05:21it can cause irreparable damage and there's no going back.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23When you buy the fake products,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27some of them have a chemical in them called sodium perborate,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29which is actually carcinogenic.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Others have got so much acid in them
0:05:31 > 0:05:34that they dissolve the enamel of your teeth.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Tests on the product seized at the show reveal they contain
0:05:39 > 0:05:42between 6% and 11% hydrogen peroxide.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46That's well over the safe legal limit and potentially dangerous.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51Trading Standards needed to prevent any more customers from being hurt,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53so they immediately raided the store.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58All unsafe teeth whitening products were removed,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and one potential defendant was arrested.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07In total, the team confiscated over 250 bottles of dangerous and fake
0:06:07 > 0:06:10teeth whitening product.
0:06:10 > 0:06:17We've also got banners, again, evidence of the claims.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20"Ideal for age groups 16 or over,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22"used by leading dentists throughout Europe."
0:06:24 > 0:06:25All these claims were fake.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28The teeth whitening products were not used by dentists,
0:06:28 > 0:06:30and were not suitable for anyone.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Trading Standards needed to find out more about the company.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37They quickly discovered that the case wasn't just a local one.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Customers right across the UK had been affected.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45One of them was Kathleen Haig from Manchester,
0:06:45 > 0:06:49who bought a home teeth whitening kit in her local shopping centre.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53That evening, I put it on me teeth,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56and within seconds, my mouth were burning.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02It were horrific pain. Nothing could shift it.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05I kept putting my mouth under the tap
0:07:05 > 0:07:10and it worked for a few minutes and then it'd start again.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Kathleen rinsed her mouth throughout the night, trying to stop the pain.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18But in the morning, her lips were so swollen that she had no choice
0:07:18 > 0:07:21but to go and get checked out by her dentist.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25He just took one look at it and said, "You need to go to A&E."
0:07:25 > 0:07:28In A&E, they gave Kathleen something for the pain,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30but there was nothing they could do
0:07:30 > 0:07:34about the serious injuries caused to her mouth.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Couldn't eat or drink for a fortnight without a straw.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Altogether, the discomfort lasted about three month.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47In fact, it's still not healed. I still can't have hot drinks.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52With people like Kathleen suffering long lasting damage from fake teeth whitening kits,
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Powys Trading Standards knew it was vital to stop the company in its tracks.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01The investigation soon became a nationwide investigation,
0:08:01 > 0:08:06covering criminality valued at over £3 million.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09The team soon realised that the fakers were hiding
0:08:09 > 0:08:12behind a vast network of fake companies
0:08:12 > 0:08:14that made them hard to trace.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17The companies consistently dissolved.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Kind of, one company, set up another, dissolved,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23and then carried on that practice
0:08:23 > 0:08:26over what we think is something like ten years.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30But they couldn't hide forever.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Investigators eventually traced all the fake companies back
0:08:33 > 0:08:37to just three members of the same family from Manchester.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41They were arrested and subsequently charged with fraud.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47Two pleaded guilty to serious fraud offences with fakery.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51A third member of the family has actually pleaded guilty
0:08:51 > 0:08:55to serious Trading Standards offences.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59The operation has been a huge success for Trading Standards.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03But other fake teeth whitening companies could still be out there.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07And for customers like Kathleen, who is now scarred for life,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09that's a serious concern.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12I'd like to say to all teeth whitening fakers,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16you are ruining people's lives. My life has been ruined.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21I'll never be able to eat hot food again.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23It's terrible. It's terrible what you do.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Coming up, it's not just teeth whitening kits that are being faked.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31What about the experts who do it for you?
0:09:31 > 0:09:35We meet someone who is injured by a fake dentist.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38She is illegally whitening teeth. She's fake.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49They've become one of the must-have accessories.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52High-quality in-ear headphones. And they don't come cheap.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55These would cost around £80 if they were real.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58But of course, we are at the Fake Britain house, so they're not.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02But buying a fake pair could cost you more than just cash.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Whether it's for our smartphones, MP3 players,
0:10:09 > 0:10:14watching films on our laptops or TVs, headphones are big business.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20The global headphone market is now worth an estimated £6 billion.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24But sellers of fake headphones are also cashing in.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27And Fake Britain has been given access
0:10:27 > 0:10:29to a raid on a suspected faker.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34It's early morning, and Trading Standards officer John Ashby
0:10:34 > 0:10:38and his team are on their way to an address somewhere in London.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Just on our way to execute a warrant linked to the online sale
0:10:42 > 0:10:46of high-end, counterfeit audio headphones.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50The headphones range from anywhere from £80 up to £500-600 each.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Trading Standards already know of several consumers
0:10:56 > 0:10:59who have been duped by convincing fake versions
0:10:59 > 0:11:01of three of the biggest brands -
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Bose, Sennheiser and Beats.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09We had a consumer who had been and bought a pair of Bose headphones,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12they were somewhere in the region of £200,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15when they arrived he was bitterly disappointed to discover
0:11:15 > 0:11:17that they were counterfeit.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20They've left feeling pretty ripped off, pretty fed up
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and attempting to try and get their money back.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Supported by police officers, OK? 253.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30The officers arrive at the suspected faker's address.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32And it's time to wake him up. KNOCK ON DOOR
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Can you open the door, please?
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Hello. My name is John Ashby.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40We've got an entry warrant, and that's in relation to the sale of goods.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Myself and a few officers are going to come in and we are going to search the house.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Folks, do you want to go into the living room?
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Let's find something that's counterfeit.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Try and find some Sennheisers.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55So far, so good. Our main suspect is here.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59He very briefly indicated that there are some goods within his home.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Officers search the boot of the suspect's car.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08John's leading the search inside the house.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11And it's not long before the team finds what it's looking for.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15We found Sennheiser and Beats headphones -
0:12:15 > 0:12:19exactly the ones that are being sold through the website.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21The brand experts have now come in
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and confirmed that they're fake items.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28The Sennheiser and Beats headphones have been confirmed as fakes.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32But the team have also found the Bose headphones that triggered the investigation.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35These headphones are the same ones that have been purchased
0:12:35 > 0:12:37by our two consumer complainants...
0:12:38 > 0:12:41..and were discovered to be counterfeit.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44They're also the same ones that we ourselves test purchased.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47It's a fairly good copy of the original packaging,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50including all the mechanics inside.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Warranties and instructions and the like.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55And it's all there just to dupe the poor unsuspecting
0:12:55 > 0:12:58member of the public into buying this high-end expensive item.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01It's good to find these in-house with the suspects,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03so great evidence.
0:13:04 > 0:13:09Officers have discovered something else interesting inside the house.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Within the property, there's boxes of stuff, packaging,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16parcelling tape, postal stickers.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19There's also quite a professional-looking photo booth
0:13:19 > 0:13:22that he takes images of the goods in when advertising them.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Now, it's time to start bringing out the substantial seizure
0:13:28 > 0:13:31of fake Bose, Sennheiser and Beats headphones.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36These headphones are typical of the ones we've seized today.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38They're certainly counterfeit.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42You could see with a close inspection that they're not really
0:13:42 > 0:13:44quite as good as the real, legitimate thing.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46They're no better than you'd pay a couple of pound for.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48The sound quality's terrible.
0:13:48 > 0:13:54John and his team have learned a little about how the suspected faker's business model works.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57He's definitely been boxing and packaging them up at home,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00so quite a cottage industry.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Today, Trading Standards have seized a van load of fake headphones,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06but there are more out there.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Michael from north-east London is a fan of Beats headphones.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I really like my gadgets.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17I like Beats headphones.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19I remember when I got my first pair when I was at university.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23They're good quality. I've had many over the years.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Michael had his heart set on some in-ear headphones
0:14:26 > 0:14:29which usually retail for around £80.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34So, he was excited when he saw a pair advertised for less online.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38They were selling headphones for £30, I think it was,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40and I thought I'd buy them.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Michael went ahead and ordered the headphones via the website.
0:14:45 > 0:14:51I ran to the letterbox every day, just to see if they'd arrived.
0:14:52 > 0:14:57After two weeks of waiting, I saw a small envelope.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01not what I was expecting, because Beats headphones like this come in a box.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03There is no box. I looked inside and what I'd got
0:15:03 > 0:15:09was a little bag with some headphones in.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11And a pouch.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14It didn't look right.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15The headphones are the wrong colour,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18they don't feel the same as the other pair I had.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Michael suspected that he'd bought fake headphones.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24But it was only when he tried to put them in his ears
0:15:24 > 0:15:26that his suspicions were confirmed.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30The metal grille on the top of the headphone fell off.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33I was completely shocked.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Obviously, that's not meant to happen at all.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38That piece would have gone in my ear.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41This is absolutely disgusting, to be honest.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Fake Britain showed Michael's headphones
0:15:44 > 0:15:46to an experienced industry investigator,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48familiar with Beats products.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50They confirmed them as fake.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53We wanted to find out more about the dangers of fake headphones,
0:15:53 > 0:15:55like the ones that Michael bought.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01So, we went to see ear, nose and throat consultant Gerald Brookes.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03A big part of his job is helping patients
0:16:03 > 0:16:06who've managed to get something stuck in their ear.
0:16:06 > 0:16:11There's a whole range of items that can get into the ear,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14which are not supposed to be there.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Occasionally it's possible, if the skin is abraded or a foreign body
0:16:17 > 0:16:20material is introduced, it can become infected.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24We showed Gerald the fake headphones that Michael bought.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26He had some real concerns.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30These particular headphones have a small mesh that seems to fix into
0:16:30 > 0:16:32the end, or certainly it's in the end of one of them
0:16:32 > 0:16:35and one of them is missing here.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37That could cause a problem because they could put it in the ear,
0:16:37 > 0:16:42it can fall off, roll down the ear canal and get stuck in there.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46I think you'd have to go to an ENT specialist,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48who would retrieve it for them.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51It's not just poor build quality that could pose a threat
0:16:51 > 0:16:55to the unwitting wearers of fake headphones.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58There could be some concerns that some of these fake phones
0:16:58 > 0:17:02may generate excessive sound levels, which could damage the ear.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Loud noise has a cumulative adverse effect on the ear,
0:17:06 > 0:17:11in other words, the damage builds up and will cause hearing loss.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18For Michael, it's a lesson learned.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20He won't be making the same mistake again.
0:17:22 > 0:17:23In future, I'll go somewhere
0:17:23 > 0:17:25that I know I can get a genuine product from,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27from the high street, where I can see the product,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30or online with official merchandisers.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35There's people out there that want to dupe consumers.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Earlier on Fake Britain,
0:17:44 > 0:17:48we saw how consumers were injured by fake home teeth whitening products
0:17:48 > 0:17:53containing levels of bleaching agent over 100 times the legal safe amount.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56My gums started to burn after a very short time.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01But it's not just home teeth whitening kits that are being faked.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04What if you wanted to pay someone to whiten your teeth for you?
0:18:04 > 0:18:05Really, really white.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Teeth whitening isn't just a cosmetic procedure, it's dentistry,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and should only be carried out by regulated dental professionals
0:18:12 > 0:18:16who have registered with the GDC, the General Dental Council.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20But how do you know if they are?
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Natasha Crane from Norwich had decided to get her teeth whitened
0:18:23 > 0:18:27by someone she thought was a professional.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29I've always wanted a nice, white smile.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31It's always been a big thing for me.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36I had braces and ever since I've had my braces removed,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39I've thought my teeth were quite yellow.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43Natasha had been told that teeth whitening could cost over £500.
0:18:43 > 0:18:50So when she saw someone advertising fast laser teeth whitening online for less, she was interested.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54So I messaged her and she said, "For £30,
0:18:54 > 0:18:58"at a reduced rate from £99, I can book you in next week."
0:18:59 > 0:19:03The following week, Natasha went to the woman's house, as arranged.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05I had a few doubts.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Everything was set up,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10but because there was a few certificates on her wall,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13and another lady had her teeth whitened, that kind of reassured me a bit.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16When it was Natasha's turn,
0:19:16 > 0:19:21the woman painted bleach on her teeth and then left her under a laser for 45 minutes.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24After a second application, it was time to see the results.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29And it was then when she removed the retainer from my mouth,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32I felt like my mouth was, like, punched about 100 times.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38It was indescribable. I could hardly open my jaw.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40And she said, "Yeah, that's normal."
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Still in pain, Natasha went home.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46But the next day, things got even worse.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50After about 24 hours, I...
0:19:50 > 0:19:53..started noticing something chipping away.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57I had a look and it was part of my tooth.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00One of Natasha's teeth had started to crumble away in her mouth.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Really devastating. I went there to get my teeth whitened
0:20:04 > 0:20:08and I've come out and I've lost about 60% of that tooth.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11I was crying loads. I thought to myself -
0:20:11 > 0:20:13why did I go and get my teeth whitened?
0:20:13 > 0:20:16I should have just left them,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18saved up the money to go to a dentist.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23Desperate for help, Natasha contacted UK dentist regulator,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25the General Dental Council.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27They gave her some disturbing news.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32They then said, "She's not registered on our register.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34"She's fake.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37"She's advertising...
0:20:37 > 0:20:41"..as a teeth whitening dentist, but she's not."
0:20:44 > 0:20:48Natasha had had her teeth whitening bodged by somebody posing as
0:20:48 > 0:20:50a regulated dental professional.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53She thought she was getting power or laser bleaching,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56which should take place in the dentist's chair,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58using a laser to speed up the process.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Dr Okoye told us more about the strict laws
0:21:01 > 0:21:06governing the powerful and potentially harmful chemicals involved in these treatments.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09By law, the only people that can actually carry out teeth whitening
0:21:09 > 0:21:13are dental professionals, so for example, as a dentist,
0:21:13 > 0:21:18this involves five years of training and that means that I can actually
0:21:18 > 0:21:22assess your mouth properly and be able to carry out the treatment
0:21:22 > 0:21:24effectively and safely.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Anyone offering teeth whitening without a licence
0:21:27 > 0:21:30is a fake teeth whitening practitioner.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34It is really dangerous for somebody who's not qualified
0:21:34 > 0:21:36to be carrying out teeth whitening.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40They could cause permanent damage to teeth and gums.
0:21:40 > 0:21:45Dr Wyman Chan is one of the world's leading tooth whitening experts
0:21:45 > 0:21:47and dentist to the stars.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52He's concerned about the problem of fakers in the teeth whitening industry.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Fake dentists, big, massive problem,
0:21:57 > 0:22:03I've seen lots of these patients who have been to see these fake dentists
0:22:03 > 0:22:06and usually, they complain about sensitivity.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09It's like a really bad toothache, it's so painful.
0:22:09 > 0:22:15A lot of these fake dentists, they are using fake number
0:22:15 > 0:22:19and they pass themselves out as registered dentists.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23In a recent case, a fake dentist made nearly £1,000 a day
0:22:23 > 0:22:25from his illegal teeth whitening business,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29run from premises on London's bustling Oxford Street.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31He even used a fake GDC number
0:22:31 > 0:22:34to make himself look like a real dentist.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39Fadi Hatab's operation was shut down and he was fined £10,000.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45A fake GDC number wouldn't show up on the GDC's register of dentists,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47but a real number will.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51My advice is, number one,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54make sure that they're registered with the General Dental Council.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57That's quite easy to do from the website.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59And also, I'd say it's about trust.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Go with your gut. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05And if you don't trust them, go somewhere else.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11I feel angry about this.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14These fake dentists, they can be anyone.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17I heard some story in the daytime they are bricklayers,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20in the evening, they take their bags and go to someone's house
0:23:20 > 0:23:22and become a tooth whitener.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25For Natasha, only time will tell
0:23:25 > 0:23:27whether she'll be able to move past her experience
0:23:27 > 0:23:30with the teeth whitening faker.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33I feel really stupid for not doing my research.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35I'm left with sensitivity...
0:23:36 > 0:23:39..for life, probably.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41And I think I'm going to lose most of my tooth.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49This is a halogen heater.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Many people buy them because they give out heat very quickly
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and are usually quite compact.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Like any electrical appliance, you'd expect it to be safe,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01but we've discovered fake halogen heaters
0:24:01 > 0:24:03out there, in people's homes,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06that are anything but safe and they're not even halogen.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Linda McFarland from Northamptonshire
0:24:12 > 0:24:14is an award-winning dog shower.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16During a recent chilly spell,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19she decided her home was too cold for her prize pets.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24Linda went to her local store and bought two small halogen heaters.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26When she got them home,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28she plugged in one in her living room
0:24:28 > 0:24:30and started warming the room up.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35Everything was fine until a few days later when Linda was settled down
0:24:35 > 0:24:38in front of the TV with the heater on beside her.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I saw a little flicker coming from the top of it...
0:24:42 > 0:24:46..and there was a flame coming off of it and it had caught fire.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50With the heater on fire, Linda had to act fast.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53I panicked and I got up,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57immediately unplugged it and I was able to get it out quick,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00but it could have caused a problem.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Linda returned the heater to the store,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04where it was exchanged for a new one.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08She then took the replacement heater home and put it in her living room,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12alongside the second of the pair she'd originally bought.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14That night, as it was particularly cold,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18she sat down to watch TV with both heaters on.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21The next thing I know, there was smoke coming from one of them.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25I panicked, pulled the plugs out again.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27And with that, I noticed both the heaters,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29one was melting from the top...
0:25:30 > 0:25:34..and the other had black marks all down the vents on the back of it.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37If I'd fallen asleep in front of the TV,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40it would have gone up in flames.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Linda decided to report her experience to Northamptonshire Trading Standards
0:25:44 > 0:25:46before anyone else could get hurt.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Officer Ian Smith immediately picked up the case.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53We went straight out and purchased some samples ourselves
0:25:53 > 0:25:57so that we could examine it more closely.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59OK, this is the item in question,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02which is the Kingfisher halogen heater.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05If you look down here, it gives you the CE mark,
0:26:05 > 0:26:10which tells you it should be meeting the essential safety requirements.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Trading Standards wanted to find out more about the Kingfisher branded
0:26:14 > 0:26:19heaters, not to be confused with the home improvement retailer Kingfisher,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22to find out if it had really passed the safety tests or whether
0:26:22 > 0:26:24the CE mark was in fact fake.
0:26:24 > 0:26:30The paperwork did contain test certificates to show that they were safe,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32but when we looked more closely
0:26:32 > 0:26:35at them they seemed to have differences.
0:26:35 > 0:26:41The test certificates that we were shown related to a different item, essentially.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Something that was similar, but not the same as.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48There was only one way to find out if the heaters were safe.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Trading Standards would need to send them to be tested.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55And the test report uncovered something completely unexpected.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58These weren't halogen heaters at all.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02The heater was completely fake.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05This is one of these so-called halogen bulbs
0:27:05 > 0:27:09and you can see that it is simply, as the test house has reported,
0:27:09 > 0:27:13a tube with a heating element fed through.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15And it soon became clear,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19these fake heaters would not pass any safety tests.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23The fact that it did indicate that it was electrically unsafe posed
0:27:23 > 0:27:27a serious risk that somebody could be electrocuted when using it
0:27:27 > 0:27:31or indeed catching fire and potentially burning somebody's house down,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34you know, the results could be fatal.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36With the heaters confirmed as double fakes,
0:27:36 > 0:27:41with fake halogen and CE claims, and also confirmed as dangerous,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Trading Standards immediately issued a product recall.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47The importer, Bonnington Plastics,
0:27:47 > 0:27:52was prosecuted and ordered to pay fines and costs of almost £7,000.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Linda, who bought three fake heaters,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57is relieved that she spotted the problem in time
0:27:57 > 0:28:00before serious harm was done.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02If it caught fire while I was out,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05it would have cost me my property, my dogs, everything.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Everything would have been gone.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.