0:00:02 > 0:00:05Welcome to a world where nothing is as it seems.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Welcome 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 > 0:00:24Put 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 > 0:00:34conning people like you and me, and making money for the criminals.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37We'll investigate the fraudsters who are selling us something
0:00:37 > 0:00:39that isn't real and could be dangerous,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43and we'll help you avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Today on Fake Britain...
0:00:46 > 0:00:50..the fake and dangerous fuses sold on the high street...
0:00:50 > 0:00:53We've seen plugs actually explode,
0:00:53 > 0:00:55which can expose people to electric shock.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59..the fake reviews that ruined one boy's Christmas...
0:00:59 > 0:01:02We waited and we waited and nothing came.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06To him, it was like the end of the world. He was devastated about it.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08..we're on the front line with a private detective
0:01:08 > 0:01:10taking down the fakers...
0:01:10 > 0:01:15Fake bags, jewellery. This is a shop that's openly selling fake goods.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16..and document detectives -
0:01:16 > 0:01:19the Home Office unit uncovering fake IDs.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22It's like the forger's signature. It's an error that he's made
0:01:22 > 0:01:24in every single one of the fake documents.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Fuses - they may not look like much, but these little things
0:01:33 > 0:01:35are actually one of the most important safety devices
0:01:35 > 0:01:37we have in our homes.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39If something goes wrong with an electrical product
0:01:39 > 0:01:41connected to the mains,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44the fuse will blow and the power is disconnected,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47so we should be protected from fire or electric shock.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49That all sounds very important, doesn't it?
0:01:49 > 0:01:53So, what if the fuses in your home were fake?
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Your toaster, your kettle, your microwave, your charger -
0:02:00 > 0:02:03every time you plug in an electrical item,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07the fuse inside is quietly working away keeping you safe.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12In fact, we all use fuses several times each day,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15but many of us don't know much about them.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19No, not a clue. I have no idea about the safety aspect of fuses.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21I just know that you put them in a plug.
0:02:21 > 0:02:27I think a 13A is for the iron, I think the five is for the kettle
0:02:27 > 0:02:32and the pink is the universal one. I hope that's correct.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36None of the people we spoke to knew much about fuses,
0:02:36 > 0:02:41including the fact there's no such thing as a universal fuse.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43One person who does know all about fuses,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and their importance for safety when it comes to your home appliances,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50is Martyn Allen from Electrical Safety First.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52What a fuse actually is there to do
0:02:52 > 0:02:54is if there's a fault in that appliance,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56then it would make the situation safe,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59so it will prevent a fire or a serious electrical shock.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02These small fuses are big business.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05The average household has over 40 electrical items
0:03:05 > 0:03:07and a huge number of these are Bussmann fuses,
0:03:07 > 0:03:11made by technology company Eaton Electrical.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Fakers are now making money from the enormous demand for these fuses.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18We've been raising awareness about fake electrical products
0:03:18 > 0:03:20for quite some time now,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23and what we've seen is both in unbranded and very cheap products
0:03:23 > 0:03:25that you find predominantly online,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28that often they come with fake fuses.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31But the fakes don't just come preinstalled
0:03:31 > 0:03:32in fake electrical items.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36They're also being sold to people who need to replace the fuse
0:03:36 > 0:03:39in a genuine appliance.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Fake Britain received a tip-off that suspected fake fuses
0:03:42 > 0:03:46were being sold on the high street by budget chain Poundworld.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51So, we bought two mixed packs for just £1.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53These fuses are supposedly a type
0:03:53 > 0:03:56made by the company Eaton Electrical.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59We showed them to brand protection manager Simon Bircham,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03who works to combat the problem of fakes.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Eaton has been a leader in fuses for over 100 years,
0:04:07 > 0:04:12and like any other product that's of high esteem and regard,
0:04:12 > 0:04:13it's a target for counterfeiters
0:04:13 > 0:04:16because they look for a product that's highly recognised.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Eaton Electrical examined the fuses sold by Poundworld
0:04:20 > 0:04:24and confirmed they're definitely fake and quite possibly dangerous.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28If we think about the fuse industry, companies spend millions of pounds
0:04:28 > 0:04:33in research and development to produce safe products,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36and counterfeiters don't care about the quality of products,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39they don't care about the safety of products.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44To find out more about the fake fuses Poundworld sold,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48we took them to Graham McKay at the British Standards Institution,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51which sets the safety standards for electrical items.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54So, in my left hand, I have a fake fuse.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56In my right hand, I have a genuine fuse.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I've been in the industry for over 30 years.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I can't tell the difference between them.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05With the fakes so similar externally to the real thing,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07there's only one way to tell the difference.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Graham will need to look inside.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15First, he cracks open a genuine one.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18This is a good fuse. It's surrounded by sand.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21So, the sand fulfils two functions. First of all, it insulates
0:05:21 > 0:05:24some of the temperature effects from the body of the fuse
0:05:24 > 0:05:26and it also damps out any explosive force
0:05:26 > 0:05:29you might get in the event of a significant electrical fault.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32But what's inside the fake?
0:05:33 > 0:05:35We can see our counterfeit fuse
0:05:35 > 0:05:37has no sand present.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39A really important design difference.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42The fakers are cutting corners
0:05:42 > 0:05:46by not putting sand in fake fuses, and by doing this, they're putting
0:05:46 > 0:05:49users of electrical appliances in danger.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51In the event of a very large fault current,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54which you might have if you had, I don't know,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56a short circuit on your washing machine, for example,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58the fuse will actually explode.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01The sand damps that out, typically,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05and prevents that explosion from creating havoc with the plug itself.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08None of the fakes we bought at Poundworld
0:06:08 > 0:06:09had any sand in them.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Absence of sand, we've seen plugs actually explode,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16which can expose people to electric shock.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21To find out just how dangerous these fake fuses might be,
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Graham's going to test one to the EU standard
0:06:24 > 0:06:28by passing a strong current through it for 30 minutes.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30What we're checking for really is the temperatures -
0:06:30 > 0:06:32the temperatures of the wiring,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35particularly the temperatures of the plug and front of the socket.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40The temperatures are monitored with a thermal imaging camera.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42The wire inside the fake fuse
0:06:42 > 0:06:45should be able to withstand the current for 30 minutes
0:06:45 > 0:06:48without melting and breaking the circuit.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52But after just 15 minutes, it's game over.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56The fake fuse has failed.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59It should've lasted 30 minutes under that condition.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02You know, it's failed to do its job.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06The wire inside the fuse disconnected before it should.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09As well as leaving out the sand,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12the fakers are using inferior materials.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14This is an unreliable fuse
0:07:14 > 0:07:17that might break down before a fault even occurs
0:07:17 > 0:07:20or not break the circuit when it needs to.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Graham also tested another fake fuse we bought from Poundworld,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26with more dramatic results.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Here's one we tested earlier.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33In this case, the fuse carried on operating for 30 minutes
0:07:33 > 0:07:35and the plug got extremely hot,
0:07:35 > 0:07:37leading to some melting of the plastic here.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40You can see the burning that's taken place inside.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44That could lead to the plug coming apart,
0:07:44 > 0:07:45exposing you to electric shock.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Looking at the socket, the pin of the socket
0:07:48 > 0:07:50has actually burned and charred here.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52You know, that could easily lead to a fire.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Tests on other fake fuses have had more catastrophic results,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01like this explosion that was caused by a lack of sand
0:08:01 > 0:08:03in the fake fuse inside the plug.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06We showed footage to members of the public
0:08:06 > 0:08:07to see what they made of it.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Oh, my gosh. That's awful.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12It's literally, like, exploded off the wall.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14And that could happen, like, at any time.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19Like, that's really terrible. Like, that's really dangerous.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21I'm just shocked.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24It's actually quite horrendous and really quite scary.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28It will blow up. It will kill everybody in the house.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31I'm really disappointed that somebody would actually sell them
0:08:31 > 0:08:35in such mass production considering the damage that it could do.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39As a result of Fake Britain's investigation,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Poundworld was informed.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44They immediately issued a recall of the fake fuses.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Poundworld told us...
0:09:16 > 0:09:18They actually come in unique packaging,
0:09:18 > 0:09:20and it's very clear for the consumer,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23that if you have a product that's in that pack,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27that you need to contact and take that product back to Poundworld
0:09:27 > 0:09:29because that's a fake product.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Martyn Allen from Electrical Safety First
0:09:33 > 0:09:36wants to emphasise that people shouldn't underestimate
0:09:36 > 0:09:38the potential dangers of using a fake fuse.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42In the UK every year, we have about 7,000 fires
0:09:42 > 0:09:44that are caused from faulty electrical products.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Some of those fires clearly will be associated with fake fuses
0:09:47 > 0:09:51that can lead to loss of life through either the fire
0:09:51 > 0:09:54or electrocution, so it's a really serious issue.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01Are you a savvy online shopper?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Do you do your research on a business you might buy from,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07like checking up to see if they have positive reviews
0:10:07 > 0:10:09from satisfied customers?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12That sort of information is very reassuring.
0:10:12 > 0:10:13It makes it less likely
0:10:13 > 0:10:15you're going to have a problem, doesn't it?
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Well, you may have to think again.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20As Fake Britain has been discovering,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23it's not only fake products you have to be careful about,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26it's fake positive reviews on websites too.
0:10:28 > 0:10:34We spend more money online per head than any other developed country.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37More than three quarters of us shop over the internet,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40and last year, we spent over £110 billion online.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47When buying a product or service, many of us turn to online reviews
0:10:47 > 0:10:49written by other customers who bought the same thing.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Andy Ward from Nottinghamshire wanted to buy a video game
0:10:54 > 0:10:58with limited-edition toy for his son for Christmas.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00He has a great passion for video games.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Getting him off them is difficult.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08He loves collecting figures and things that you get with them.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10In fact, he probably enjoys that
0:11:10 > 0:11:11more than the games themselves, to be fair.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16The video game Andy's son had his heart set on
0:11:16 > 0:11:18had sold out in shops,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22so Andy went to online auction site eBay to see if he could get one.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24I started looking around for, I don't know,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28half an hour or so before deciding that the seller
0:11:28 > 0:11:30that I'd chosen seemed to be asking a fair price.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32It seemed legitimate,
0:11:32 > 0:11:37the feedback seemed genuine and it seemed to tick all the boxes.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Andy felt he could trust the seller
0:11:41 > 0:11:43because there were several positive reviews
0:11:43 > 0:11:44from previous buyers.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48The seller had only been a member of eBay for a few months,
0:11:48 > 0:11:53but had accrued about 27 positive feedback, 100%, no worries.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59So, Andy went ahead and bought the game for £149.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02He was pleased to have found the rare game that his son,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05who has autism, had set his heart on.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08They were both excited about the game's arrival.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11We waited and we waited and nothing came.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14The days went by,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17and with Christmas approaching, Andy started to worry.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19He e-mailed the seller but got no reply.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22He tried calling but the phone number wouldn't connect
0:12:22 > 0:12:26so he looked up the address the seller had given.
0:12:26 > 0:12:33I took minutes to establish that the door numbers on the road
0:12:33 > 0:12:37that the seller supposedly lived on never went to that number.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40The address didn't exist.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44On some websites, customers can see what products
0:12:44 > 0:12:47the person they're buying from has purchased.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Andy decided to take a closer look at the customer feedback
0:12:51 > 0:12:53on the seller's profile.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55He was surprised by what he discovered.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58On closer examination of their feedback,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00I found that several of the feedbacks
0:13:00 > 0:13:01were basically purchased.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05They'd been bought from other eBay sellers.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09The video game seller's positive reviews were fake.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12He had, in fact, bought the reviews from this eBay seller.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Fake Britain has since found that other online sellers
0:13:17 > 0:13:20are claiming to sell positive reviews.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Andy had believed he was buying from a respected trader,
0:13:24 > 0:13:25but none of the reviews he'd believed
0:13:25 > 0:13:29were actually from satisfied customers.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32When people buy fake feedback,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34they can have written whatever they want.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36They can pretty much say,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38"Yeah, well, say I'm a fantastic seller.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41"Say everything arrives on time. Couldn't be any better.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43"Very reliable."
0:13:43 > 0:13:47It was all lies, and the video game Andy ordered never arrived.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50He had to break the news to his son.
0:13:50 > 0:13:57Part of his condition would be that he does not really understand
0:13:57 > 0:14:00that concept that, you know, sometimes, these things happen.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03So, to him, it was like the end of the world, you know.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06He wanted that and he was devastated about it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09eBay is not the only website
0:14:09 > 0:14:12that has problems with fake positive reviews.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Fake reviews are appearing on all sorts of websites,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18tricking consumers into thinking they've been written by customers
0:14:18 > 0:14:22when, in fact, they were written to order by someone paid to do it.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Chris Emmins is the founder of KwikChex,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28which works to verify online information.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Every bit of research we've seen over the last few years
0:14:32 > 0:14:34and the investigations we've conducted ourselves
0:14:34 > 0:14:38show that online reviews are one of the ways
0:14:38 > 0:14:43you can most influence consumers to buy products.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46A huge number of customers relying on online reviews
0:14:46 > 0:14:49to reassure themselves are being fooled.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53On a daily basis, we are contacted by consumers
0:14:53 > 0:14:57that say they only bought the supposed goods
0:14:57 > 0:15:00because of the reviews they saw online.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03I think it's fair to say that there must be
0:15:03 > 0:15:07literally millions of consumers falling prey
0:15:07 > 0:15:10to this sort of deception on a daily basis.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Some fake reviews are used by real companies
0:15:13 > 0:15:17to make their genuine product or service appear more attractive,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20but fake reviews are also used by fraudsters to convince shoppers
0:15:20 > 0:15:23to buy products that don't even exist,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25which is what happened to Andy.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29With that degree of influence, it was obvious that fake businesses
0:15:29 > 0:15:34and fake online sites were going to use fake reviews to dupe consumers.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37But give your details to these fakers
0:15:37 > 0:15:40and you might lose more than you bargained for.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Not only will they take your money in the first place,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47but they could start opening up bank accounts, credit cards, etc
0:15:47 > 0:15:50in your name and really going to town on you.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52They could destroy your finances
0:15:52 > 0:15:55and they could destroy your credit reputation, as well.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59At their worst, fake reviews can be used
0:15:59 > 0:16:01to make entirely fake websites,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04selling fake services, seem legitimate.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08Fake Britain wanted to find out just how easy it is to create one
0:16:08 > 0:16:12selling not just non-existent video games but a fake service,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15so we asked Chris to build one that could entice people
0:16:15 > 0:16:19to give over some of their most sensitive personal data.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22It took him just a few hours to create a fake glossy website
0:16:22 > 0:16:25from scratch advertising a fictitious company
0:16:25 > 0:16:29that purports to help people with passport and visa issues.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Here's one we made earlier.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35What you'll see on it is a very credible looking website.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40It purports to belong to various well-known trusted organisations.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42It says it's 100% guaranteed.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46But none of this is real.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49There is really no substance to this at all.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54Almost everything about it is fake. We have a fake "About Us" page.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58It tells people that we have wonderful lawyers
0:16:58 > 0:17:00and we've been doing this sort of thing for years.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05And, of course, to convince customers to go ahead and buy,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07the new website is full of positive reviews
0:17:07 > 0:17:10from thrilled customers.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14And there they are - all five-star, glowing testimonials.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16They look credible. They're well phrased.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20So, in 24 hours, you have a credible website
0:17:20 > 0:17:23capable of deceiving consumers.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25But it doesn't end there.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Chris is now going to try to get his fake website
0:17:27 > 0:17:30onto a trusted reviews site -
0:17:30 > 0:17:33an independent forum allowing consumers to post reviews,
0:17:33 > 0:17:34both good and bad,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37of products and services they've used.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Shoppers trust these sites because the reviews are impartial
0:17:40 > 0:17:43and haven't been posted or edited by the company,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46or so they think.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49One of the key problems of reviews sites
0:17:49 > 0:17:54is there is a considerable lack of diligence in their processes.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58There is no real verification not only of the reviewers,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01but, quite astonishingly, in many ways,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03of the business itself.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05We wanted to see how easy it would be
0:18:05 > 0:18:07to get the fake online business accepted
0:18:07 > 0:18:10by a trusted online reviews site,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14so Chris submitted it to a popular one called Review Centre.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18What we did here is put entirely fake details on it,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22so fake e-mails on the website, a fake telephone number,
0:18:22 > 0:18:26a fake address, and none of that was actually picked up in the -
0:18:26 > 0:18:29I hate to say it - so-called verification process.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Chris receives an e-mail asking him to click a link,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39and that was all he needed to do to fool people with his fake service
0:18:39 > 0:18:42and the fake reviews praising it.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46His fake company now looks legitimate,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49featuring on a trusted reviews site,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53and Chris is able to start posting fake positive reviews on there, too.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56How many stars? What sort of rating am I going to give it?
0:18:56 > 0:18:57I'm going to give it five.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Would I recommend it to a friend?
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Unquestionably, I'd recommend it to a friend.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Here's my review title.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07"Excellent."
0:19:08 > 0:19:11And now I've taken one of the fake reviews
0:19:11 > 0:19:12from the fake website.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15I'm just cutting and pasting that in there now.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17What it's asking me to do now
0:19:17 > 0:19:21is to confirm that I'm a genuine consumer.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23I'm going to agree with that.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26And there, lo and behold,
0:19:26 > 0:19:31is the first of what would be many, many fake reviews.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35None of the contact details on Chris's fake website are live,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37so no consumers contacting the service were fooled
0:19:37 > 0:19:40into thinking it was genuine.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43But if it's this easy to post fake reviews online,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47what can you do to be sure that the ones you're reading are genuine?
0:19:47 > 0:19:51If you see lots and lots of five-star glowing reviews,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54look and see how many of the reviewers
0:19:54 > 0:19:57maybe have only posted one review
0:19:57 > 0:20:01because, actually, really dedicated reviewers tend to post quite a few.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Try cutting and pasting the review that you're seeing
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and see then if it pops up on other reviews sites.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10If you're seeing it on more than one review site,
0:20:10 > 0:20:14it's really likely to have been placed by a bogus company
0:20:14 > 0:20:16using fake reviews trying to get as much exposure
0:20:16 > 0:20:18on the internet as possible.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22We contacted Review Centre and eBay with our findings.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Reviewcentre.com told us...
0:20:35 > 0:20:38"While this system has been shown not to be 100% foolproof
0:20:38 > 0:20:40"by your programme..."
0:20:46 > 0:20:50"We've also carefully complied with the laws in our sector and..."
0:20:56 > 0:20:58eBay say...
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Andy did finally manage to get hold of another version
0:21:18 > 0:21:20of the video game for his son,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22who was very happy with his Christmas present.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26But Andy is still furious with the faker.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28It just made me feel really angry.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32It's the fact that you can have massive impact on a family.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35It could be quite difficult to deal with.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37To him, it was very, very important.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47A recent government report named an area of Manchester
0:21:47 > 0:21:49as the counterfeit capital of the country.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Millions of pounds worth of fake goods are sold there
0:21:52 > 0:21:54and distributed across the UK.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Fake Britain has been given exclusive access
0:21:56 > 0:21:59to the private investigators and police units
0:21:59 > 0:22:02tasked with cracking down on the fakers.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08This is Manchester city centre, where over £900 million a year
0:22:08 > 0:22:12is spent on clothes, handbags and other high-end products.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18But just north of the city centre lies Cheetham Hill,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22where the authorities suspect fake goods are being openly sold
0:22:22 > 0:22:25in huge volumes from high-street stores.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30The authorities, however, are watching,
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and Fake Britain has been given exclusive access
0:22:33 > 0:22:35to private investigator Dave McKelvey
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and Greater Manchester Police on a major operation
0:22:38 > 0:22:41to disrupt the sellers of fake goods.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46Cheetham Hill is effectively the fake capital of the UK.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Most of the fake goods that come into the UK come into this area,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53and you can buy anything here, anything at all -
0:22:53 > 0:22:57footwear, clothing, electrical goods, handbags.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58Absolutely anything.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03It's like an open street market.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Extremely hostile to law enforcement.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13This is an absolutely vast area of criminality.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Street after street selling fake goods.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24The sellers of fake goods employ an army of lookouts,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26also known as spotters.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Spotters there.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
0:23:31 > 0:23:33You've got spotters out on the street.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38You can see two there, two more there. Three.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Three on this corner. You see spotters in the doorways.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Those spotters protect the premises
0:23:45 > 0:23:48so that if law enforcement come down here,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52the shutters go down immediately. If one premises gets raided,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54all the shutters go down on all the other premises,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57close the whole area down. So, they're all working together.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00This is an organised crime syndicate.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Private investigator Dave has been working
0:24:05 > 0:24:07with Greater Manchester Police for six months,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10and today, Fake Britain has been invited on their raid
0:24:10 > 0:24:13of the premises of a major counterfeiting gang.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17All the premises are all shut up,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21secured with metal shutters.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25The shops are protected by steel shutters,
0:24:25 > 0:24:29but the officers have come prepared with heavy-duty circular saws.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32It's time to hit the shops.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42But then they find reinforced doors behind the steel shutters,
0:24:42 > 0:24:43so it's time for the police to unleash
0:24:43 > 0:24:47what they fondly refer to as "the enforcer"...
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Yeah, you're in. Right.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54..and it's not long before they're in.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56This is exactly what we expected to find.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00You've got a premises here that is absolutely full of fake goods.
0:25:00 > 0:25:05As you look around the room, just fake bags, fake Uggs.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09There's perfume, jewellery. Absolutely everything here.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13This is a shop that's openly selling fake goods.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17There is a bewildering array
0:25:17 > 0:25:19of fake clothing and gadgets in the shop,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22and the fakers have an ingenious method of bringing their haul
0:25:22 > 0:25:25into the country without being detected.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29They're buying in bags that don't have any labelling on.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32That way, they can get them through customs without any problems.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36The tags that they put on.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39They generally get the stuff shipped in untagged
0:25:39 > 0:25:45and then the staff that they hire, they'll tag it up in the shop.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Sometimes, they even use superglue.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Just stamped in.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Dave's got a shopping list of his own today,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59and this store isn't the only one he's planning to visit.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Down the road, the circular saw is out again.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04They'll literally lock the whole place down
0:26:04 > 0:26:06the moment there's any police activity.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08We're now in, so we'll see what's inside this one.
0:26:10 > 0:26:11Police!
0:26:12 > 0:26:15The lights are off in this shop,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18but Sergeant Darren Thomason still spots a fake.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Clearly, there's a lot more stock in this shop.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25You're into the tens of thousands of pounds' worth of gear,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27from your North Face jackets
0:26:27 > 0:26:30all the way down to your jewellery as well.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34It's a big shop, which will take officers a while to search.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37Oh, my God.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Darren's concerned about the safety of some of the fake products
0:26:42 > 0:26:46for sale in this shop, like these hair straighteners.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48You can tell by the quality of these items that
0:26:48 > 0:26:51they're not the real thing, they're fake,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53and as you can clearly see there,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56it's got the approval stamping on there,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58but again, that's going to be fake.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01There's no way on this earth that that's the real McCoy.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03You know, these things can catch fire so quickly
0:27:03 > 0:27:06because they've not passed their safety regulations, so, yeah,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09they can certainly cause fires within the home.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13It's not just fakes that Darren's found.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14He's uncovered hard evidence
0:27:14 > 0:27:18of just how lucrative the fakery business is.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19This is the ledger you see.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Cash takings here for £7,000.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25£9,000.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Just under £4,000.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30£10,424.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33This is all cash in hand.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38So, a hell of a lot of money going through the door on a daily basis.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41While the officers continue their search,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Dave decides to take a drive around the local area.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47He's surprised to see that, for some of the shops,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49it's business as usual.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52We've got huge police presence across the road.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53You've got a shop being searched
0:27:53 > 0:27:58and there's people down that road still openly selling fake goods...
0:27:59 > 0:28:01I'll just reverse back again.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04..literally 100 yards from where there's a police raid going on.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07It's completely lawless. It's like the Wild West.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Police and Trading Standards have been seizing about
0:28:11 > 0:28:16£1 million worth of fake stock every year from Cheetham Hill.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Today's haul might push that figure even higher.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Push harder up on this one.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25- There's a box up there. - Yeah, there's a box.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28The shops are literally packed to the rafters
0:28:28 > 0:28:29with fake merchandise.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Oh! Good catch.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36The ceiling space is crammed full of Lacoste trainers.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Well, in this case, of course, low-cost fakes.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Janet Shaw, head of Manchester's Trading Standards,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46is delighted with today's haul of fakes.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48Well, it's all been seized as evidence.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50We'll be trying to get prosecutions from this.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53And obviously once the cases are over with, it'll all be destroyed.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56We suspect it's organised crime groups that are involved in this,
0:28:56 > 0:28:59so the money could be being transferred out of the country
0:28:59 > 0:29:01to fund all sorts of activities.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04There's a huge container that's being loaded as we speak,
0:29:04 > 0:29:06so, yeah, massive amount of stuff.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10This operation is the culmination of months of hard work
0:29:10 > 0:29:12and it's been a resounding success.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14So, this is not small businesses.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17It's seven days a week, £5,000 to £10,000 a day.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20This is vast, vast business. This is organised crime.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23So, it's a huge haul worth millions and millions of pounds.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31On this operation alone, Trading Standards and the police
0:29:31 > 0:29:34seized around £2 million worth of fake goods.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36Well, as you can see from the vehicle,
0:29:36 > 0:29:37we're still in the process of loading up
0:29:37 > 0:29:39from the various shops we've seized from,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42so we anticipate that this vehicle will be pretty full
0:29:42 > 0:29:43by the end of today.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45We've got another vehicle on standby, as well, to come down.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54This is one of the most important documents we will ever have.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Our passport proves who we are and helps us travel,
0:29:57 > 0:30:00open a bank account, take out a mortgage, hire a car.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02The list is almost endless.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06But because it's so important, it's also very valuable.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08To the fakers, it's worth thousands.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10There's a specialist unit in the Home Office
0:30:10 > 0:30:14that investigates all types of identity document fraud.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Their experts can prove whether this is real or a fake,
0:30:17 > 0:30:20and we've been given special access to their work.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Fake ID documents are used by criminals for everything
0:30:26 > 0:30:30from entering the country illegally to working illegally,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33and fake ID documents are on the rise.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37Home Office enforcement teams arrest around 10,000 people every year
0:30:37 > 0:30:40attempting to use fake documents at the border.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46Here at the National Document Fraud Unit,
0:30:46 > 0:30:50officers are on the front line of detecting fake documents.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Henry Barra is one of the chief immigration officers
0:30:54 > 0:30:58and he thinks the quality of fake documentation is getting better.
0:30:59 > 0:31:04Some of the most impressive and most convincing forgeries,
0:31:04 > 0:31:08for instance, are now being found in some of the latest,
0:31:08 > 0:31:10highest security passports.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Here at the NDFU's archive,
0:31:13 > 0:31:17there are nearly 100,000 legitimate ID documents.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Sometimes, the best way to spot a fake document
0:31:20 > 0:31:23is by looking at the real thing.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27We've spent the best part of 40 years building up this archive.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31We think it's pretty unique. We have passports, identity cards,
0:31:31 > 0:31:36driving licences from virtually every country in the world.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39For instance, here, Sierra Leonean passports,
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Kazakhstan, Greece.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47Somalia, Soviet Union, the United States.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51We use these as comparison documents.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54So, if documents are referred to us for an opinion
0:31:54 > 0:31:56as to their authenticity,
0:31:56 > 0:32:01we will hopefully have a document of that same series.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07Henry was at the centre of a major NDFU operation
0:32:07 > 0:32:10to bring a gang of document fakers to justice.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13Operation Clawford targeted fraudsters who were selling
0:32:13 > 0:32:17fake passports to foreign students who were then using them in support
0:32:17 > 0:32:20of their applications to work in the UK.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24One of the documents submitted was found to be a counterfeit.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27A second document was subsequently submitted
0:32:27 > 0:32:30and officers noticed a similarity between the two.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34They put out instructions to UK Visas and Immigration
0:32:34 > 0:32:36to say, "There seems to be a trend here.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38"Start looking out for these documents."
0:32:38 > 0:32:41And they started coming in in serious numbers.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46Officers finally traced the suspected fake passports
0:32:46 > 0:32:48to one address and raided the property.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51They were surprised by what they found.
0:32:51 > 0:32:56Paper was found there that's often used to make counterfeit documents,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59strongly suggesting that we discovered what was essentially
0:32:59 > 0:33:01the forgery factory.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04But it wasn't just fake passports that were on offer.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08For the right price, anyone could buy an entire fake identity kit.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12They came as part of a package of a passport -
0:33:12 > 0:33:15Dutch passport - Dutch identity card,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Dutch driving licence and various other papers.
0:33:18 > 0:33:25The prices that were being charged varied between £7,500 and £18,000.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28And that shows just how lucrative this operation could be.
0:33:28 > 0:33:33David Roberts is one of the NDFU's specialist document examiners.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36There seem to be very little external difference between
0:33:36 > 0:33:40the fake passports that had been seized and the real thing.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42But Dave is trained to spot the subtle differences
0:33:42 > 0:33:44that might give fake passports away.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50This is an example of one of the fake Netherlands passports.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52On initial glance, they don't look too bad,
0:33:52 > 0:33:57but the closer you look, pages are slightly misaligned to the cover,
0:33:57 > 0:33:59if I hold it up to the light,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02I can see that there is no watermark present on this page.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04In genuine passports,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07you expect gold leaf that's stamped into the cover,
0:34:07 > 0:34:11whereas this one is much more flat, it's not very metallic.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14David was suspicious of the passports,
0:34:14 > 0:34:16but there was only one way to be sure -
0:34:16 > 0:34:19by comparing them under a microscope
0:34:19 > 0:34:23to genuine passports from the NDFU's archive.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27This is what a genuine Dutch passport is expected to look like.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Around 46 times magnification now.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32You can see that it's solid colour printing,
0:34:32 > 0:34:34the S is still well-defined,
0:34:34 > 0:34:38whereas when we stick our fake document under,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41the S is much less defined.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45When they're lined up side-by-side, you can see the difference.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50The team also discovered that the passport fakers had made
0:34:50 > 0:34:54some tiny but crucial errors with their reproductions.
0:34:54 > 0:35:00One anomaly that we identified in every one of the fake passports -
0:35:00 > 0:35:03on the bio page, on the information page,
0:35:03 > 0:35:05two letters incorrectly touch.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08In a genuine document,
0:35:08 > 0:35:13we expect there to be a nice gap for the text to be well registered.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15It's like the forger's signature. It's an error that he's made
0:35:15 > 0:35:18in every single one of the fake documents.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21We came across two documents at
0:35:21 > 0:35:24the organised crime group's business address,
0:35:24 > 0:35:28and they also had this anomaly, which was how we were able
0:35:28 > 0:35:32to identify that that is the source of the documents.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35The expert evidence provided by the NDFU
0:35:35 > 0:35:38was enough to get the passport gang convicted.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42The ringleader was sentenced to five years for conspiracy
0:35:42 > 0:35:48to assist unlawful immigration, and their customers, up to about 40,
0:35:48 > 0:35:50have mostly been removed from the United Kingdom.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00Most of us will need a torch at some time,
0:36:00 > 0:36:04and if we bought one of these, we'd have no problem seeing in the dark.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07You see, this is a high-quality, high-powered LED torch
0:36:07 > 0:36:11with a bright, white beam and long-lasting battery.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14It's often used by professionals who might have to depend on it,
0:36:14 > 0:36:17like the police or mountain rescue teams.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20If you got stuck up a mountain at night with only this for company,
0:36:20 > 0:36:22though, you might have a few problems,
0:36:22 > 0:36:24as you might have guessed.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28We're here in the Fake Britain house and this is a fake.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33This is an LED or light-emitting diode torch.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35The LED bulb is longer-lasting,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38brighter and more efficient than torches with older-style
0:36:38 > 0:36:42incandescent bulbs and it's becoming increasingly popular.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47LED Lenser is one of the leading brands of LED torch,
0:36:47 > 0:36:51with patented reflector systems to make them even brighter.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54Tony Cutting from rural Rutland needed a powerful torch
0:36:54 > 0:36:58to help him and his wife get around their property at night.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01My wife is partially sighted, she has a brain tumour
0:37:01 > 0:37:05and she has very limited vision and it's very important for her to see
0:37:05 > 0:37:08where she's going. It's quite a long walk across the garden
0:37:08 > 0:37:11and there's no lighting there whatsoever, so I do need a torch.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14Tony settled on a LED Lenser torch.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18The one he wanted retails for up to £120,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20but Tony went online and found one
0:37:20 > 0:37:22on special offer for around 15% less,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25which he went ahead and ordered.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27I unpacked it on Christmas Day
0:37:27 > 0:37:30and I was just impressed by the quality of it.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32There was nothing about it that said fake.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35It looked really high-quality, incredibly small, neat,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38a superb piece of engineering.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41Tony plugged in the torch to charge it up.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43The flashing light was on.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46I thought, "Right, it's just saying it's charging."
0:37:46 > 0:37:48But when I looked more carefully at the instructions,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51the flashing light said there's some kind of fault
0:37:51 > 0:37:52with the charging system.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54Tony contacted the seller
0:37:54 > 0:37:57who offered to send a replacement charger,
0:37:57 > 0:38:01but by now, Tony was suspicious and decided to make enquiries.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04I contacted the manufacturer with the serial number
0:38:04 > 0:38:06and they wrote back and said,
0:38:06 > 0:38:08"We don't recognise the serial number.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10"We think it is a fake."
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Tony had bought a fake LED torch,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18and it was so bad, it didn't even switch on.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20I felt a bit foolish.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24I felt I should've been much more diligent in sorting it out.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27I shouldn't have been trying to chase a 10%, 15% discount
0:38:27 > 0:38:30by buying off some seller on eBay.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32I felt I was just an idiot.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38Tony is one of many who has bought a fake LED torch.
0:38:38 > 0:38:39His was for personal use,
0:38:39 > 0:38:43but LED torches appeal to a wide audience
0:38:43 > 0:38:47and many professionals rely on them to get their jobs done safely.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Paul Green runs a security company
0:38:49 > 0:38:53supplying guards and guard dogs to warehouses and building sites.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58Most of our work is looking after construction sites, warehouses.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01We work dusk till dawn and you can meet quite a lot of unsavoury
0:39:01 > 0:39:03characters through the course of an evening patrol.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05We use good-quality torches that we know will last,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08that we know will be bright. It's a critical piece of equipment.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11We can't afford for them to go wrong.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Paul decided to replace his old torches
0:39:13 > 0:39:15with new LED Lenser torches.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19They seemed fine at first, but it was only when his team
0:39:19 > 0:39:21tried to use them on a job in the dead of night
0:39:21 > 0:39:23that they realised something was wrong.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26When you pressed the on button, it didn't always respond and
0:39:26 > 0:39:29sometimes you'd have to press the button two or three times
0:39:29 > 0:39:30to get it to respond.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Paul was furious that his team had been put in danger
0:39:34 > 0:39:38by what he'd thought was a LED Lenser torch.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40We use the torches for mission-critical stuff.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42It's not like they're there as a kids' play toy.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47So, yeah, we weren't best pleased.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Got to be honest, I was a bit miffed at LED Lenser,
0:39:50 > 0:39:54initially thinking they're not what everybody hypes them up to be.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56We look after some construction sites at the moment
0:39:56 > 0:39:58which have got deep excavations going on.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02If our guard is on a patrol in a safe area and his torch fails,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04it wouldn't be difficult for him
0:40:04 > 0:40:06to walk into a dangerous zone on a site.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Paul immediately contacted Ledco,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11the supplier of the genuine LED Lenser.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14They came back to me within a couple of days and verified the
0:40:14 > 0:40:17serial numbers on the torches that I'd received were fakes.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20Paul's staff could've been put in danger by their fake,
0:40:20 > 0:40:22faulty LED torches.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25But the danger isn't just hypothetical.
0:40:26 > 0:40:31We spoke to Jon Kemp, the managing director of Ledco.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33We supply the police,
0:40:33 > 0:40:38we supply mountain rescue teams, electrical wholesalers, plumbers,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41fishermen, outdoor sports enthusiasts.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44It's vitally important that when they're going out to find someone
0:40:44 > 0:40:47in the middle of the night, whether it's up Ben Nevis, Snowdon,
0:40:47 > 0:40:51in the depths of Scotland somewhere, that they have reliable equipment.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55And the last thing they want is to be halfway through a search
0:40:55 > 0:40:57and their light goes out.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01Jon knows of one fake that failed in a critical situation.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03It couldn't have happened at a worse time.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06The customer was a sea angler, and very keen.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08He'd unfortunately purchased a fake.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12He was out over rock pools fishing for bass one night
0:41:12 > 0:41:13and, yeah, the torch let him down
0:41:13 > 0:41:17and he had to get back to the beach with no light.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22And it's, you know, windy, rainy and completely black.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24It was a very bad situation.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28The company regularly comes across fake versions of their product.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31They look good at first sight, but there are some crucial differences
0:41:31 > 0:41:33between the fakes and the real thing.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36For a start, the quality of the light.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40These are two LED Lenser P7.2 torches.
0:41:40 > 0:41:41One is fake, one is real.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46This one, we purchased two weeks ago from a third-party website.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50You can very quickly tell, when you actually
0:41:50 > 0:41:52show the product side by side,
0:41:52 > 0:41:55the one on the left is the correct spot
0:41:55 > 0:41:58and the one on the right has a square sort of beam to it.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02You can also see that, when we go to this flood,
0:42:02 > 0:42:07the genuine product is significantly brighter.
0:42:07 > 0:42:12The genuine product is well made. The same can't be said of the fake.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Inside the product, they look very similar.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Our product unscrews smoothly.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19This, you can tell, is very difficult.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22It just grinds and it's just not precision engineered.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26And inside, the lack of attention to detail continues.
0:42:26 > 0:42:33We use 24-carat gold contacts and this is more of a brass effect.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37We don't know what it's made of. Otherwise, they look very similar,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40but they're certainly not of the same quality.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43Knowing his job as well as he does,
0:42:43 > 0:42:48security boss Paul Green feels he and his team have got off lightly.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50One particular site I was involved with a few years ago,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53we had a minibus-load of thieves turn up on site,
0:42:53 > 0:42:55and they were intent on taking all the copper
0:42:55 > 0:42:58that was left on this site, which was nearly demolished anyway.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00When we're faced with a situation like that,
0:43:00 > 0:43:02it's important all the equipment works.
0:43:02 > 0:43:03You're often away from a police response,
0:43:03 > 0:43:05you won't get an immediate assist.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07A lot of the time, all we have is our dog,
0:43:07 > 0:43:08our mobile phone and our lights.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.