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 > 0:00:51He wasn't a good driver at all
0:00:51 > 0:00:54and I think he was taking risks with our lives.
0:00:54 > 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, 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 > 0:04:42that are operating illegally.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47PC Humpherson is concerned that some minicab drivers
0:04:47 > 0:04:50might be using fake plates.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52They may be a revoked-licence driver
0:04:52 > 0:04:55that, at some stage, has been caught for an offence,
0:04:55 > 0:04:56no longer have a licence.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00So, what they will do is they will get hold of some either fake plates
0:05:00 > 0:05:03or they may have stolen some plates. They'll put them on the vehicle.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Straight away, it looks like a licensed vehicle
0:05:06 > 0:05:07and they will take journeys.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Members of the public aren't going to look at those plates,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12or they may look at the plates and not question the driver.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16They're just happy that, "Well, I'm getting in a vehicle and I'm getting home."
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Tonight, the officers are patrolling the streets
0:05:19 > 0:05:23in search of fake and illegal minicab drivers.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27I'm going to drop two officers off on foot
0:05:27 > 0:05:29and I'm going to get into a position
0:05:29 > 0:05:32where I can observe them approaching vehicles.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37The undercover officers pretend to be late-night partygoers
0:05:37 > 0:05:39in search of a cab.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41The one that takes their fare doesn't know
0:05:41 > 0:05:44that he'll shortly be pulled over by a police bike.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Alpha one. Subject vehicle is a silver Mercedes.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53No deviation. Speed - 30. Newhall Street.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57The driver was later questioned and it was discovered
0:05:57 > 0:06:00he was operating in the wrong county, which is illegal.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Later, another team stops a second minicab driver
0:06:07 > 0:06:10who's found to be taking illegal fares.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12'Can you just follow me, at the roundabout,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15'just back into Morrisons and stop there?'
0:06:15 > 0:06:18He knows there's some money to be made. It's very easy money.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20He'll take them. He'll take the risk.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22And, unfortunately, on this occasion for him,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25it's police officers that he's picked up.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27We've caught four pliers so far tonight.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30We've only been out a few hours. No fake plates that we're aware of.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33I've got no doubts that there are people about in this city tonight.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35It's a good result for the team
0:06:35 > 0:06:37tasked with catching illegal minicabs.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40They know that the fakes are out there.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46In Bradford, Josh Ripley was violently beaten unconscious
0:06:46 > 0:06:48after getting in to a fake minicab.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53And one night, PC Jason Dooley came face-to-face with one.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01He saw a minicab being flagged down by passengers and taking the fare.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Plying for hire is illegal,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07so PC Dooley followed the car on his police bike
0:07:07 > 0:07:09and pulled over the driver.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Spoke through the open window
0:07:11 > 0:07:13and I just asked, "Lads, have you booked this taxi?"
0:07:13 > 0:07:15And they both said, "No, we're just doing it now."
0:07:15 > 0:07:18I've then asked them to get out of the taxi cos it's not booked
0:07:18 > 0:07:20and the driver's committing an offence.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22I've then told the driver to follow me.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27But the minicab driver had other ideas and sped off,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31leaving PC Dooley no option but to give chase.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Heard a wheel spin.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37He then went the wrong side of the road through a No Entry sign.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40When he got to the dual carriageway, he slowed down.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43I think he realised that, "I'm not getting away from
0:07:43 > 0:07:45"a police motorcyclist, so I'm just going to give up."
0:07:45 > 0:07:48And that's when I've arrested him for dangerous driving.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51PC Dooley was about to discover that this minicab driver
0:07:51 > 0:07:54wasn't all he appeared to be.
0:07:54 > 0:07:55He had taxi plates on the car.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58It was emblazoned with taxi door numbers.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00I assumed it was a legal taxi.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04But after arresting the driver, the truth emerged.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07The plates displayed were expired and they weren't in his name.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14Mr Elahi wasn't a taxi driver. Mr Elahi's car was not a taxi.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16He'd stuck these stickers on his vehicle
0:08:16 > 0:08:18to give the impression to members of the public
0:08:18 > 0:08:21that it was a private hire vehicle.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23But when we interviewed Mr Elahi,
0:08:23 > 0:08:26he stated that it was a one-off, that he had only done it once,
0:08:26 > 0:08:28but we proved that it was numerous times -
0:08:28 > 0:08:32possibly near to 100 times - he was using this vehicle as a fake taxi.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Fake cab driver Babu Elahi admitted dangerous driving,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42fraud by false representation and driving without insurance.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45He was jailed for four years, suspended for two years,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48and banned from driving for 12 months.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54As far as PC Dooley is concerned, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59In one year alone, around 100 drivers in Birmingham
0:08:59 > 0:09:01have been prosecuted and banned from the roads
0:09:01 > 0:09:06or given six penalty points with fines approaching £2,000.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08There are fake taxis out there.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11If you get into the rear of a fake taxi,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13they are not checked, they are not monitored,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16so they could be anybody, and it's a danger to the public.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20Coming up, we see how Trading Standards in the South West
0:09:20 > 0:09:24cracked their largest ever fake minicab case.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26It's a massive deception.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31The work involved in producing these fake logs is enormous.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Celebrities sell, and they get everywhere.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42You'll find them endorsing everything from cars to crisps,
0:09:42 > 0:09:46teabags to trainers, all in the hope that we'll buy the product
0:09:46 > 0:09:50because we're convinced that if they like it, it must be OK.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Perhaps some of their magic may rub off on us.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56But if you're impressed that someone you admire endorses a product
0:09:56 > 0:09:57and you decide to buy,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01can you be sure the celebrity actually has anything to do with it?
0:10:01 > 0:10:04What if the endorsement is a fake?
0:10:05 > 0:10:09This is a genuine advert for a well-known bank
0:10:09 > 0:10:11featuring Olympic athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill
0:10:11 > 0:10:15and racing driver Jenson Button. You name the celebrity
0:10:15 > 0:10:19and the chances are their face is being used in an advert like this.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22More than a quarter of shoppers have bought something
0:10:22 > 0:10:25because it was being promoted by a well-known personality.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29And one such shopper is Tanya Worsfold
0:10:29 > 0:10:31from Clackmannanshire in Scotland.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34She'd been thinking about going on a diet when, one day,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37she saw an advert online about a slimming supplement
0:10:37 > 0:10:39called raspberry ketones.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43It was accompanied by a picture of comedian Dawn French.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46And I really like Dawn French. I've followed her for years.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48As a comedian, I think she's brilliant,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50and I'd been to see her recently in her show,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54and it was about her losing weight and what she'd done.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59The supplements raspberry ketones are a natural plant extract.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Some people think they help with slimming,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05and they're widely available in high-street health-food shops.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07The advert suggested that the supplements
0:11:07 > 0:11:10had helped Dawn French to lose weight,
0:11:10 > 0:11:15and a trial pack was being offered at 50% off the normal price.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18What it suggested was that Dawn French was
0:11:18 > 0:11:20endorsing the product and that, you know,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24she'd used that same product to help her with weight loss.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Tanya had never bought supplements online before,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29but because they appeared to be recommended
0:11:29 > 0:11:31by a famous figure that she respected,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34she decided to give them a go.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Well, it certainly makes you think, "Oh, if Dawn French is using it,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39"it must be all right, then, cos she was looking so good."
0:11:39 > 0:11:41So, Tanya bought the supplements.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44When they arrived, she started to take them,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47but after taking a closer look, she began to have doubts.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52They looked cheap and the labels weren't put on straight
0:11:52 > 0:11:55and I just thought, "You know, I've bought something over the internet.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58"It could be anything. It could be rat poison."
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Tanya decided to stop taking the pills
0:12:01 > 0:12:03and thought no more about them.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07She assumed she'd lost a bit of money on a one-off bad purchase,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10but a few weeks later, she received a parcel.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13I got, through the post, another packet of the vitamins -
0:12:13 > 0:12:17two packs - with a bill saying I think it was £80.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19I thought, "Oh, God!"
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Tanya phoned the company to tell them they must have made a mistake.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24And they said no, this was right,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28that I had signed up for a 12-month supply.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30I said, "Well, I didn't," and they said,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33"Well, you didn't read all the terms and conditions."
0:12:33 > 0:12:37Having been lured in by a supposed endorsement from Dawn French,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Tanya now found herself caught in a so-called subscription trap.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45Customers are hooked in with a free trial or discount for a product,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49but if the trial isn't cancelled within a certain time,
0:12:49 > 0:12:51the company starts to take regular payments
0:12:51 > 0:12:53from the target's bank account.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56I don't even remember ticking a box, but I must have done.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01I certainly had no idea it was for any length of period.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03I thought it was a one-off purchase.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05I thought the bottle was valued at a tenner
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and they were giving it to you for 50%.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Worried about losing even more money,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15she contacted her bank and cancelled the direct debit,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19but by now, the company had taken over £300 from Tanya,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21which she still hasn't recovered.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23When I realised how much money they were taking out,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26I just felt like I'd been mugged.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28How I felt was I was walking along the street,
0:13:28 > 0:13:29they literally mugged me,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32pulled out my purse from my bag and took the money.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Tanya had fallen for pills which, it was falsely claimed,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38were being promoted by one of her heroes.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41I realised that the endorsement was fake
0:13:41 > 0:13:43and, yes, you know, it couldn't have been anything
0:13:43 > 0:13:45to do with Dawn French. It was just a con.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48But Tanya's not the only shopper
0:13:48 > 0:13:51to have fallen for a fake celebrity endorsement.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Mike Andrews from the National Trading Standards
0:13:54 > 0:13:58eCrime Team is leading a crackdown on subscription traps,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00many of which lure in their targets
0:14:00 > 0:14:04with photos of celebrities who haven't endorsed the products.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Some of the celebrities we've seen used in subscription traps -
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Kate Middleton, some famous American celebrities
0:14:10 > 0:14:13like Kim Kardashian, Christina Aguilera.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17The latest intelligence and reports we have suggest that
0:14:17 > 0:14:18the total loss does run
0:14:18 > 0:14:21into millions and millions of pounds a year.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23We're aware of one bank that reported
0:14:23 > 0:14:26that 37,000 of their consumers have been the victim
0:14:26 > 0:14:27of some sort of subscription trap,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30so that puts into context the scale of the problem.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32These traders are making a significant profit
0:14:32 > 0:14:34out of these scams.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Dawn French's agent told Fake Britain that...
0:14:48 > 0:14:51But Dawn French is just one of many celebrities
0:14:51 > 0:14:53having their identities faked by companies
0:14:53 > 0:14:56who are trying to sell products.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Lorraine Kelly and Fern Britton have been quick to issue public denials
0:15:00 > 0:15:04after their images were used without their consent to peddle products.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Some celebrities have even had their identities faked
0:15:09 > 0:15:11by criminals out to commit fraud.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Finance expert Martin Lewis is the founder
0:15:15 > 0:15:18of the MoneySavingExpert.com website.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22His advice is trusted by millions of consumers,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26and because of that, he's a regular target for the fakers.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30I've had problems for years with people knocking on people's doors
0:15:30 > 0:15:34or calling them up pretending to have some form of linkage with me
0:15:34 > 0:15:36or with MoneySavingExpert.com.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Recently, fraudsters actually pretended to be Martin
0:15:41 > 0:15:44in order to persuade pensioners to hand over their money,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47either to get tax rebates that didn't exist
0:15:47 > 0:15:51or to protect themselves against a fraud that hadn't even happened.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55This is pure fakery. They were using my name,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57they were using MoneySavingExpert.com's name
0:15:57 > 0:15:59because we're trusted,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02to try and get into vulnerable, elderly people's houses,
0:16:02 > 0:16:06the type of people I spend my life campaigning to protect.
0:16:06 > 0:16:07It makes me feel physically sick.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Given the tens of thousands of pounds that have been stolen
0:16:12 > 0:16:14from people who thought they were dealing with Martin,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18he wants to warn the public not to take everything at face value.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21It's very easy to believe people
0:16:21 > 0:16:23when they knock on your door and say,
0:16:23 > 0:16:24"I've been sent by an organisation
0:16:24 > 0:16:27"like Money Saving Expert or Martin Lewis.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30"You've heard what he says on the TV and radio.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32"You know, he supports exactly what we're doing."
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Well, unfortunately, whatever that endorsement is,
0:16:36 > 0:16:40remember this is a salesperson, or, potentially, even worse -
0:16:40 > 0:16:43a fake salesperson, a scammer, trying to get your money.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Anybody knocking on your door, calling you up
0:16:46 > 0:16:49saying they represent me or this website is a liar.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Whether it is to push a product or a scam,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56using fake celebrity endorsements on social media
0:16:56 > 0:17:00to convince consumers to part with money is now a real threat.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Many adverts are being endorsed by fake tweets,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06like this one purporting to be from none other
0:17:06 > 0:17:09than the Duchess of Cambridge herself.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Rest assured, neither she nor any of the other stars featured here
0:17:12 > 0:17:14are linked, in any way,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17with the products they appear to be promoting.
0:17:17 > 0:17:18Of course, it's all fake
0:17:18 > 0:17:22and it's all designed to try and get the consumer enticed onto the site
0:17:22 > 0:17:25where they'll be parted with their hard-earned money.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Even entire magazines have been faked
0:17:28 > 0:17:30to give some health products an air of respectability,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34in this case, a fake Women's Health article.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36So, this particular website here,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39it's designed to look like editorial content
0:17:39 > 0:17:42from quite a popular women's monthly magazine, Women's Health.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44So, it's got a logo towards the top of the screen
0:17:44 > 0:17:48all designed to look like genuine, but, actually, it's a fake website
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and if you look at the giveaway at the top in the web address -
0:17:52 > 0:17:54ConsumerHealthReports.biz -
0:17:54 > 0:17:57it's actually nothing to do with Women's Health magazine at all.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59For customers like Tanya,
0:17:59 > 0:18:02being targeted by a fake celebrity endorsement
0:18:02 > 0:18:04has cost her more than just money.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07It was really highly unpleasant,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and it wasn't so much about the loss of the money, although that hurt,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13it was the fact that you'd been so conned.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15You just felt you'd completely lost the money to thieves.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17You know, just...
0:18:17 > 0:18:20You know, you felt stupid and robbed.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Earlier on Fake Britain, we saw how fake minicabs on British roads
0:18:32 > 0:18:35are putting passengers in extreme danger.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41Mr Elahi wasn't a taxi driver. Mr Elahi's car was not a taxi.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46In Cornwall, Norman Roper and his wife Eleanor
0:18:46 > 0:18:49were about to find themselves embroiled in one of the largest ever
0:18:49 > 0:18:53fake taxi cases seen by Trading Standards.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Norman has limited mobility,
0:18:55 > 0:18:59and so has to take minicabs to the airport when he goes on holiday.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03We were planning to go to Florida,
0:19:03 > 0:19:09and travelling from Cornwall to Gatwick is quite a job.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11We wanted to find a local firm.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Norman needed a reliable minicab
0:19:14 > 0:19:18with enough space for his scooter and luggage.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21He found a company called Cornwall Flight Connections,
0:19:21 > 0:19:25which also went by the name of Chy-Meor Flight Connections,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28not to be confused with any company of a similar name.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31One of the questions we asked was
0:19:31 > 0:19:36do they carry wheelchairs and mobility scooters?
0:19:36 > 0:19:38And they assured us they did.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43I'd read the advert and I'd seen that they were VAT registered.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46It all seemed quite legitimate.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Getting to Gatwick Airport in a minicab would be expensive.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Norman was quoted £400, but he was willing to pay that
0:19:54 > 0:19:57for the peace of mind provided by a professional driver
0:19:57 > 0:19:58in a spacious car.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01The minicab arrived
0:20:01 > 0:20:04in the early hours of the morning of their holiday,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07but it wasn't quite the ride that Norman had been expecting.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11I was disappointed with the condition of the vehicle.
0:20:11 > 0:20:17It was, I would say, scruffy, and when he opened the boot,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21it was full of his own personal belongings -
0:20:21 > 0:20:23golf clubs, suitcase.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26It made loading our luggage quite difficult.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Norman struggled to fit the mobility scooter into the cab,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34leaving only one option for the disappointed couple.
0:20:34 > 0:20:39In fact, my wife was in the back seat of the vehicle with luggage
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and I sat in the front passenger seat.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43Didn't seem right.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46It didn't seem the way I would expect
0:20:46 > 0:20:49a chauffeur-driven taxi to be.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Despite the crowded journey to the airport,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55the couple went on to enjoy a great holiday together.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Upon their return, they were collected by a car
0:20:58 > 0:21:00from Cornwall Flight Connections.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Again, it was scruffy, but that was to be the least of their worries.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07He spent a lot of time on the phone -
0:21:07 > 0:21:10using a mobile phone -
0:21:10 > 0:21:15and also reading documents on the passenger seat of the car
0:21:15 > 0:21:19while he was driving at 70mph, 80mph
0:21:19 > 0:21:22and wandering in and out of his lane.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26That worried me. He wasn't a good driver at all.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28He shouldn't be driving a taxi.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30He was taking risks,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33and I think he was taking risks with our lives.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Had there have been an accident,
0:21:36 > 0:21:40we would have been in real difficulty.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44It was a very distressing journey for Norman and his wife,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47but it turned out Norman wasn't the only passenger
0:21:47 > 0:21:50that the minicab firm had taken for a ride.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53A few miles away at Cornwall county council,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55licensing officer Graham Bailey
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and fair trading manager Nigel Strick
0:21:58 > 0:22:00were getting some very worrying phone calls
0:22:00 > 0:22:02from members of the public.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05The complaints started off with the condition of the vehicles -
0:22:05 > 0:22:08they were dirty, shabby, door handles hanging off.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12They also mentioned that the drivers were discourteous,
0:22:12 > 0:22:14that they were late,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16that, sometimes, they missed their flights.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18If the drivers weren't well turned out,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22it was possibly because they were working dangerously long hours,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25sometimes with disastrous consequences.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29This log shows very clearly some of the gruelling schedules
0:22:29 > 0:22:32that some of the drivers are being expected to work during the week.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35A Heathrow pick-up - 11.35 at night,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and another Heathrow pick-up at 6.20 in the morning.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Clearly, not a safe set-up.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43'We found evidence that they were involved'
0:22:43 > 0:22:46in road-traffic accidents, they'd picked up speeding tickets,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49and we had reports from other taxi drivers
0:22:49 > 0:22:51that they were actually falling asleep behind the wheel
0:22:51 > 0:22:53and that, sometimes, had to be woken up
0:22:53 > 0:22:55by other drivers banging on the glass.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Now concerned about the danger to passengers,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Graham and Nigel began to investigate
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Cornwall Flight Connections.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10They arranged for undercover officers to pose as customers.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12We did a little bit of detective work.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14We made arrangements to be picked up
0:23:14 > 0:23:18at a local drinking establishment in Truro
0:23:18 > 0:23:25and were duly picked up by a vehicle which was unmarked, unplated.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29The vehicle was pulled over by a marked police vehicle
0:23:29 > 0:23:34and the driver confessed that he was driving for Flight Connections,
0:23:34 > 0:23:39but the vehicle wasn't licensed and he wasn't a licensed driver.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Graham and Nigel now had all the evidence they needed
0:23:42 > 0:23:44to raid the company.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Trading Standards officers here organised search warrants
0:23:48 > 0:23:52of both the office where the taxi firm was operating from
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and from the private homes of the people behind the business.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58What we found was an enormous amount of paperwork
0:23:58 > 0:24:01and it became very evident very quickly
0:24:01 > 0:24:05that pretty much the whole business was set up as a fraud.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08It might look just like a scruffy office,
0:24:08 > 0:24:13but this was the nerve centre of a fake minicab business empire.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16We took away thousands and thousands of booking forms.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18It's covered in fake claims.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20They're claiming to be fully licensed.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22There're claiming to be VAT registered.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24They're claiming to be insured for private hire.
0:24:24 > 0:24:30A five-year licence for a minicab firm can cost up to £2,000.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32This firm clearly didn't want to pay
0:24:32 > 0:24:35and they were saving thousands more by not paying insurance.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38It's amazing, really, though, isn't it? Ten drivers in this book.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41None of those are licensed.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43The drivers didn't even have operator's licences,
0:24:43 > 0:24:47and, of course, the minicab firm didn't want that to be known.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50So, they created fake driver records
0:24:50 > 0:24:53to cover their tracks if the company was ever checked.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55The fake log made it look as though
0:24:55 > 0:24:57drivers with valid operator's licences
0:24:57 > 0:25:00were carrying out the journeys.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01Here's a list of drivers
0:25:01 > 0:25:05with all their appropriate taxi driver licence numbers here,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07but, actually, none of these drivers actually undertook
0:25:07 > 0:25:10any of the journeys for the firm.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14The drivers with operator's licences listed inside
0:25:14 > 0:25:17were actually genuine cab drivers.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21But a second log book, kept under lock and key,
0:25:21 > 0:25:22contained the truth -
0:25:22 > 0:25:27that fake cab drivers were actually driving the passengers around.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Now, we know that all the drivers in this log were not licensed.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36The firm have produced fake logs, same journeys,
0:25:36 > 0:25:37but they're declaring drivers
0:25:37 > 0:25:40that didn't actually conduct the journeys.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41It's a massive deception.
0:25:41 > 0:25:46The work involved in producing these false logs is enormous.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Further investigation uncovered the huge scale
0:25:49 > 0:25:52of the fake minicab operation.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57It was making enormous profits at the expense of unwitting passengers.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00I think the scale of the operation took us all by surprise.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03We estimate that they've defrauded people
0:26:03 > 0:26:07to the tune of £1.2 million, and then, on top of that,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10they've avoided almost £300,000 worth of VAT payments.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13By now, Trading Standards knew there was more than enough evidence
0:26:13 > 0:26:16to go after the bosses of the company,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Martin Perks and Christopher Perks,
0:26:18 > 0:26:22but bringing them in was going to be easier said than done.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25The two principal offenders behind the firm
0:26:25 > 0:26:28decided to pack their bags and run off to France,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30so we applied for a European arrest warrant
0:26:30 > 0:26:34and they were arrested on a campsite and returned to the UK in handcuffs.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37Once they were back in the UK,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41they were subject to electronic tagging and curfew orders
0:26:41 > 0:26:42to make sure they didn't run off again.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48Finally brought to justice before Truro Crown Court,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Martin Perks was sentenced to three years in prison.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Christopher Perks was sentenced to 12 months in prison,
0:26:54 > 0:26:56suspended for two years.
0:26:57 > 0:27:02These people have cheated and lied,
0:27:02 > 0:27:04and at the end of the day,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08they were gambling with most people's lives.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17This digital camera is packed with technology
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and can deliver a brilliant and memorable picture.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22It's expensive, of course,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25but I have the security of knowing that if anything goes wrong,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28there's a warranty, so it can be fixed or even replaced.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Well, that's what WOULD happen with a genuine camera.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33This one is fake.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37So is all this camera equipment, and as we're about to find out,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41even the professionals can find it hard to spot the difference.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45These days, it seems everyone is into photography.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50The global photographic market is now worth over £50 billion.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54But some budding British photographers
0:27:54 > 0:27:58are being duped into buying cameras that aren't what they appear to be.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Eager photographers snapping up what looks like an online bargain
0:28:02 > 0:28:05could be in for a nasty surprise.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Tristan Findley is a professional photographer
0:28:09 > 0:28:12with a successful photography business.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17He needs reliable camera equipment and backup if it lets him down.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19I need to have equipment that's fully supported
0:28:19 > 0:28:22by the manufacturer's warranty. It has to be reliable.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24I need to know that I can get a replacement camera
0:28:24 > 0:28:27sent from the manufacturer in a very short amount of time
0:28:27 > 0:28:29to carry on with whatever it is I'm shooting.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34Tristan needed to buy a new Canon Digital SLR called the 7D.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38It's a professional camera which cost around £1,600 at the time,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40without lenses.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43He found one online for £100 less than that.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48Everything seemed 100% normal. The camera was in its original box.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51There was nothing untoward about it at all.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Tristan had no reason to think anything was wrong,
0:28:54 > 0:28:58until he decided to go on a photography trip abroad.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01Like a car, you tend to service a car before you go on a long trip.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03I decided to do the same with the camera.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06I sent it back to Canon for their professional service.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11Canon checked the camera's unique serial number against their records.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15The serial number is used to trace the origins of the camera.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19They came back to me and said, "The serial number's been changed
0:29:19 > 0:29:24"and we don't make a Canon with a seven-digit serial number."
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Canon stated that, because of that, it was classed by them
0:29:27 > 0:29:31as counterfeit and was not eligible for any warranty.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35Tristan had unwittingly bought a grey-import camera
0:29:35 > 0:29:38destined for sale outside Europe.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40In the US and Asia, different manuals,
0:29:40 > 0:29:43accessories and warranties are offered.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46We spoke to Lee Boniface from Canon.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48So, this product is made for the Asian market.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51What's happened here, the importer has taken off
0:29:51 > 0:29:53the serial number on the side of the box.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57That should match the serial number on the bottom of the camera there.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00And I've got one here that's been put on over the top
0:30:00 > 0:30:01of the genuine serial number.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04That serial number doesn't mean anything, and therefore,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06this consumer who bought this product, unfortunately,
0:30:06 > 0:30:08they wouldn't have a valid warranty.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Fake serial numbers don't show up on Canon's database,
0:30:11 > 0:30:15making the identity of the camera impossible to trace.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17Tristan bought his camera in the UK,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21but it was a camera intended by Canon for sale in Asia,
0:30:21 > 0:30:25not Europe or the UK. He bought it online.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28Some online shops are able to sell grey imports
0:30:28 > 0:30:30at low prices because, that way,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33they avoid paying the correct tax or duties
0:30:33 > 0:30:36when the camera enters the UK. Left without a warranty,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38Tristan was lucky that nothing had gone wrong
0:30:38 > 0:30:40with his camera on the shoot.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43Photos capture a moment in time and if that moment passes,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45it doesn't come back.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48But what if something had gone wrong?
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Photographer Craig Skinner bought
0:30:50 > 0:30:53a Nikon D7000 digital SLR camera online
0:30:53 > 0:30:56for a discounted £600.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Just felt they were a good-quality camera
0:30:59 > 0:31:02and I was really excited to get out and start taking some shots with it.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05But on his first big wedding photography job,
0:31:05 > 0:31:07something went wrong.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10I could tell something wasn't quite right.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12The autofocus just wasn't working properly.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16It just wouldn't focus on what I wanted it to focus on.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18You know, you spend all this money on it,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21you expect it to behave and do what it's supposed to do.
0:31:21 > 0:31:26The results of the autofocus failure were disastrous for Craig's photos
0:31:26 > 0:31:29and potentially for his reputation.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31The couple in the photo, the couple weren't sharp,
0:31:31 > 0:31:33they weren't in focus. Just not usable.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37I would never give an image like that to a client.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41Back home, Craig called Nikon about the faulty camera.
0:31:41 > 0:31:45They told him to send it in as it should still be under warranty.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47But it wasn't.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51They said basically, "Do you know this camera's a fake?"
0:31:51 > 0:31:53I couldn't believe it.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56The serial number on the bottom of the camera had been replaced
0:31:56 > 0:31:57with another one.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Craig wasn't covered by a warranty.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04Like Tristan, he'd unwittingly bought a grey-import camera,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07but in his case, the camera was actually faulty.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09With a faked serial number,
0:32:09 > 0:32:13there was no way of knowing whether it was even a genuine Nikon product.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Whether it was the entire camera body that had been replaced
0:32:17 > 0:32:21or just the label on the bottom of the camera, I don't know.
0:32:21 > 0:32:27Maybe it had been stolen in the past. I really don't know.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30We spoke to Nikon about Craig's case.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35They said, "We can confirm that the serial number on the camera
0:32:35 > 0:32:37"which Mr Skinner purchased was tampered with
0:32:37 > 0:32:40"by an unknown third party, which, unfortunately,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42"invalidates the product warranty.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46"In order to avoid the problems Mr Skinner faced,
0:32:46 > 0:32:49"we recommend customers check the list of approved retailers
0:32:49 > 0:32:53"on the Nikon website for guaranteed satisfaction."
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Fake Britain wanted to find out how big the problem
0:32:56 > 0:33:00of fake camera equipment is, so we went to see Chris Cheeseman,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03news editor of Amateur Photographer magazine,
0:33:03 > 0:33:05who agreed to run a survey.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09The results showed that many consumers are being duped.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14The biggest source were grey-market suppliers.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16One of our users unwittingly bought a lens
0:33:16 > 0:33:17as a cheaper, grey-market import.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20"I believed I was getting the same product, just cheaper,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22"as I bought it outside the UK."
0:33:22 > 0:33:25The problem comes when you want to claim on the warranty
0:33:25 > 0:33:26and they just turn round and say, "Sorry,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29"this is classed as a counterfeit camera."
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Consumers aren't just unwittingly buying grey imports
0:33:32 > 0:33:34with fake serial numbers.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38Some of the equipment they're buying is completely fake.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41From SD cards to batteries to cameras, obviously,
0:33:41 > 0:33:43camera bags, filters, tripods -
0:33:43 > 0:33:46a whole load of things which are cropping up
0:33:46 > 0:33:47which could potentially be fake.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Nearly 40% of people responding to the survey
0:33:51 > 0:33:54said they'd bought fake SD cards,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56and over a quarter had bought fake batteries.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02Back at Canon, Lee comes across fakes on a daily basis,
0:34:02 > 0:34:04and it's not just high-end cameras.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08Even point-and-shoot compact cameras are being faked.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12This is a counterfeit Canon camera.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14It's actually not a Canon camera at all.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16We actually don't make this model.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19A counterfeiter has tried to take advantage of using the Canon brand,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22and, actually, if you switch the product on,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25you can see it even comes up with the Canon logo.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28The fakers are smart enough to have programmed the software
0:34:28 > 0:34:31in this camera to tell you it's a Canon,
0:34:31 > 0:34:33even though it's not.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36Lee's concerned about the safety of some of the fake camera equipment,
0:34:36 > 0:34:37like this charger.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41You can see on this fake product already
0:34:41 > 0:34:43this wire has come loose.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46You could get a very nasty electric shock.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48If you also happen to have a fake Canon battery,
0:34:48 > 0:34:51the combination of the two could actually be quite dangerous.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53The charger would not be protecting the battery
0:34:53 > 0:34:57and we don't know how stable and how well that battery was being made.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00And this fake flash could be shockingly bad.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03We don't know where or how this product was made.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05The real concern was the connection.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07You could get a shock, or, potentially,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10it might damage the camera or might not actually work.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12Photographers Tristan and Chris
0:35:12 > 0:35:14have had their fingers burned with online shopping.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16They won't be making the same mistake again.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20It has made me a lot more cautious,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23and now I won't always seek out the cheapest price.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25If I was going to buy another camera or lens,
0:35:25 > 0:35:29I would go into a reputable camera shop every time.
0:35:37 > 0:35:38This picture looks as though
0:35:38 > 0:35:41it might have been painted by a child, doesn't it?
0:35:41 > 0:35:44A simple picture of a boat in a harbour in Cornwall.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47I really like it. It's signed A Wallis.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50In fact, Alfred Wallis took up painting late in life
0:35:50 > 0:35:52after his wife died.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54He's one of Britain's most admired artists,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56and his pictures hang in Tate Britain.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58If this had been painted by him,
0:35:58 > 0:36:00it would be worth thousands, but it wasn't.
0:36:00 > 0:36:05It's a fake, and Wallis fakes have fooled a lot of people.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14For centuries, the beautiful scenery of Cornwall
0:36:14 > 0:36:17has inspired generations of artists.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19One of the best-known is Alfred Wallis,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22a local fisherman born in 1855
0:36:22 > 0:36:26who painted in a childlike style known as naive,
0:36:26 > 0:36:27ignoring perspective
0:36:27 > 0:36:30and painting on scraps of cardboard with boat paint.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34Today, Wallis's work is sought after by collectors.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40Graham Bazely is an art auctioneer and expert on the artist,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43and so when he was shown a Wallis by one of his regular customers,
0:36:43 > 0:36:45he was very excited.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49A lady customer came in one Saturday morning
0:36:49 > 0:36:51and I said to her, "You're looking very cheerful this morning."
0:36:51 > 0:36:53She said, "Yes, I'm absolutely thrilled.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56"I've bought an Alfred Wallis."
0:36:56 > 0:36:59As a Wallis fan, Graham was keen to see the new painting
0:36:59 > 0:37:02that his customer had spent £5,000 on.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Well, we're seeing what is basically a naive picture
0:37:06 > 0:37:08of sailing boats in a harbour,
0:37:08 > 0:37:10which is just typical of the kinds of things
0:37:10 > 0:37:13that Alfred Wallis painted.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15The woman had bought the painting
0:37:15 > 0:37:17from a gallery in the small town of Hayle,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20where she'd been reassured of its provenance -
0:37:20 > 0:37:22that's the record of who'd previously owned it
0:37:22 > 0:37:24and where it came from.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28Part of this provenance was the view of a well-respected art expert
0:37:28 > 0:37:29known to Graham.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Well, I immediately e-mailed him.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34He'd been quoted out of context
0:37:34 > 0:37:37and, indeed, his e-mail actually stated, you know,
0:37:37 > 0:37:40"Do not quote me on this. I have not seen the painting."
0:37:40 > 0:37:44By now, Graham was concerned about the piece of artwork,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47so he contacted the gallery owner, David Carter,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50suggesting a refund for the customer.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53But he didn't get the answer he was expecting.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55The response was a long and rambling letter -
0:37:55 > 0:37:57it was rather arrogant -
0:37:57 > 0:38:01which said, "My opinion is as good as everyone else's,
0:38:01 > 0:38:06"and I'm as much authority on Alfred Wallis as anyone."
0:38:07 > 0:38:09Graham was beginning to suspect
0:38:09 > 0:38:13that the painting might not be all it seemed,
0:38:13 > 0:38:17so he contacted Officer Ben Adams at Cornwall Trading Standards,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21who was also unable to establish the provenance of the painting.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24She had been told it had documented history,
0:38:24 > 0:38:26provenance to it, and it turned out that
0:38:26 > 0:38:28it was a very vague, patchy history,
0:38:28 > 0:38:32simply not authenticated by any paperwork.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34With its provenance now in question,
0:38:34 > 0:38:38Graham decided to take a much closer look at the painting.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41When I looked at it, I thought, "It is too carefully done."
0:38:41 > 0:38:43You know, he was much more free.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46This is quite carefully drawn, if you look.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49I suggested that it wasn't an Alfred Wallis,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51but more than likely a copy.
0:38:53 > 0:38:54To add to his unease,
0:38:54 > 0:38:58rumours were starting to circulate about the Hayle gallery
0:38:58 > 0:39:01and its plethora of Alfred Wallis paintings.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04They had a whole series of paintings on their website,
0:39:04 > 0:39:08and everywhere I went around the UK on my travels,
0:39:08 > 0:39:10everyone said to me, "Who is that man
0:39:10 > 0:39:14"who thinks he's got a collection of Alfred Wallis paintings?"
0:39:14 > 0:39:17So, already, in the art world,
0:39:17 > 0:39:21there was a big question mark over all these paintings.
0:39:21 > 0:39:26The woman who bought the paintings gave Trading Standards a statement,
0:39:26 > 0:39:30but there was only one way to tell for sure whether it was a fake,
0:39:30 > 0:39:32and that was to get it tested.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37So, it was sent to a company called Art Analysis & Research,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40experts in the forensic examination of paintings.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45Dr Nicholas Eastaugh examined the work.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49What we specialise in is looking at the materials of paintings.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53What we then do with the information is related back to what we know
0:39:53 > 0:39:55was historically used at different times.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59So, certain pigments have had very limited kind of use,
0:39:59 > 0:40:04and so, to find it, it locates it in a particular time and place.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08When the team looked at the supposed Wallis painting,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10their verdict was unequivocal.
0:40:10 > 0:40:11One of the things that popped out
0:40:11 > 0:40:14was a pigment called titanium dioxide - white -
0:40:14 > 0:40:17and that's quite key because it's too late for the artist.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19It was introduced later in the 20th century,
0:40:19 > 0:40:21so he wouldn't have had access to it,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23therefore, to find it in a painting means that
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Wallis can't have created that painting.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30The paintings were definitely fake.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Trading Standards finally now had enough evidence
0:40:33 > 0:40:36to raid David Carter's gallery.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37Then obtained a number of items,
0:40:37 > 0:40:40including five or six paintings in total,
0:40:40 > 0:40:42together with a computer,
0:40:42 > 0:40:47a number of documents, including invoices, receipts.
0:40:47 > 0:40:48That allowed us to piece together
0:40:48 > 0:40:51basically the history of the paintings.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55For all Carter's tall stories about his Alfred Wallis paintings,
0:40:55 > 0:40:57Trading Standards were about to discover invoices
0:40:57 > 0:41:00that revealed their humble origins.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02One in particular was described
0:41:02 > 0:41:04as an item in the style of Alfred Wallis.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Now, that clearly showed that he bought the item
0:41:06 > 0:41:08effectively as a fake.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Carter was buying fake art from online traders
0:41:11 > 0:41:15with unconvincing names, including Timeless Tat.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18The works only cost Carter a few hundred pounds each,
0:41:18 > 0:41:21yet he was selling them at a huge mark-up,
0:41:21 > 0:41:25in some cases tens of thousands of pounds.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27So, you've got three paintings along the back there
0:41:27 > 0:41:29which are all from the same supplier.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32Those cost around about £500 each.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34The one on the left was up for a price
0:41:34 > 0:41:36of about £30,000 to £50,000,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40that one in the middle there was priced at £20,000 to £30,000,
0:41:40 > 0:41:44and the one on the right-hand side, that was as much as £18,000.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47It was sold for £5,000 in the end.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49They also found a painted glass ball,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52which Carter had also been trying to pass off
0:41:52 > 0:41:57as the work of Alfred Wallis at an eye-watering £60,000.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01This one was only purchased for £316.77 -
0:42:01 > 0:42:0520,000%, roughly, price inflation.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07When everything was added up,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10it was clear that by using a little trickery
0:42:10 > 0:42:12to turn a fake into the real deal,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Carter was potentially able to make enormous profits
0:42:15 > 0:42:18from his fake Alfred Wallis paintings.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21At any one time, he might have had as many as ten Wallises
0:42:21 > 0:42:24advertised for sale, taking you, you know,
0:42:24 > 0:42:27to a value of £150,000, £200,000.
0:42:29 > 0:42:30Trading Standards were now confident
0:42:30 > 0:42:33they had enough evidence to press charges.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36It was clear that we were talking about fraud here.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Mr Carter was being dishonest, basically.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43David Carter was charged with seven counts of fraud.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45At the last moment, he pleaded guilty
0:42:45 > 0:42:49and received a suspended 12-month prison sentence,
0:42:49 > 0:42:54200 hours of community service and £50,000 in costs.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59But Carter's legacy of fakery lives on.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01I would hazard a guess that the majority of them
0:43:01 > 0:43:02probably still exist.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05People might not be aware that they're in the possession
0:43:05 > 0:43:09of something which is worth a tiny fraction of what they paid for it.
0:43:14 > 0:43:16That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.