0:00:02 > 0:00:07We asked you to tell us what's left you feeling ripped off, and you contacted us in your thousands.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10You've told us about the companies you think get it wrong
0:00:10 > 0:00:13and the customer service that simply isn't up to scratch.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16They just want to take money from people.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18That's what it's all about.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money
0:00:21 > 0:00:24and investigate the extra charges that you say are unfair.
0:00:24 > 0:00:29What kind of people could do this to an innocent human being?
0:00:29 > 0:00:32And when you've lost out, but nobody else is to blame,
0:00:32 > 0:00:35you've come to us to stop others falling into the same trap.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39You have to go through various levels of authority
0:00:39 > 0:00:40and push your way through.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44So, whether it's a blatant rip-off or a genuine mistake...
0:00:44 > 0:00:47..we're here to find out why you're out-of-pocket
0:00:47 > 0:00:49and what you can do about it.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Your stories, your money, this is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Hello, welcome once again to Rip-Off Britain where, as usual,
0:00:58 > 0:01:02we're investigating more of the subjects that you've brought to our attention.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05And today, we're returning to a topic
0:01:05 > 0:01:07that these days dominates our inbox,
0:01:07 > 0:01:08and that is scams.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Every time we expose new tactics used by fraudsters,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14we're inundated with reports of even more.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17So we've picked out some of the latest to watch out for.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Of course, scams do come in all shapes and sizes and, indeed,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22levels of sophistication.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25And while you personally may not be fooled by some of them,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28there's always the possibility of yet another
0:01:28 > 0:01:29that could well draw you in.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I think it's fair to say that the ones that we're going to be hearing
0:01:32 > 0:01:36about today feature right at the very worst end of the scale in terms
0:01:36 > 0:01:38of the deceit that's involved.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41And there seemed to be so many dreadful cynical cons
0:01:41 > 0:01:45that play on the insecurities of whoever it is they are targeting.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47And as a result, they could leave you
0:01:47 > 0:01:49thousands of pounds out of pocket.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53So, as we reveal just how plausible - and believe me, they're plausible -
0:01:53 > 0:01:54that some of them can be,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56stand by for all you need to know
0:01:56 > 0:01:59to avoid being the next person to be taken in.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Coming up, how this woman was tricked out of hundreds of pounds
0:02:04 > 0:02:07by a scamming technique that's becoming increasingly common
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and is virtually impossible to trace.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13I said to him, is this a scam? Are you doing...?
0:02:13 > 0:02:15That's when he said to me, no, dear, if I was scamming you,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17I would be asking for your bank details.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19I'm trying to help you.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23And nailing the fraudsters in the biggest investigation of its kind,
0:02:23 > 0:02:28after an elaborate con saw huge sums of money stolen right across the UK.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31It was one of only two times in my life when my knees actually gave way
0:02:31 > 0:02:36beneath me. It was just that huge realisation that I had been duped.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43You know, it's thanks to all of your e-mails and letters that we are able
0:02:43 > 0:02:46to share details of all the latest scams with all of our viewers,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49to make sure that you know exactly
0:02:49 > 0:02:52what you need to watch out for to avoid being stung.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55And in recent months, we've been particularly struck
0:02:55 > 0:02:57by the number of people contacting us
0:02:57 > 0:03:00to say they have all been caught out in exactly the same way
0:03:00 > 0:03:02by an especially nasty scam
0:03:02 > 0:03:05that asks you to pay money in a particular and,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08if we're honest, rather unusual way.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10One that can't be traced,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and that could leave you hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18It's a scam we've heard reports of nationwide,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22but fraudsters seem to have targeted quite a few people in the town
0:03:22 > 0:03:23of Comber, in County Down.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Where, one afternoon,
0:03:25 > 0:03:3074-year-old Josie Andrews received a deeply unsettling cold call.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33When I picked up the phone and I said, "Hello,"
0:03:33 > 0:03:39he said, "Good morning. I'm from HMRC.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43"And I'm issuing you with a lawsuit today."
0:03:43 > 0:03:46And I said, "What for?"
0:03:46 > 0:03:49And he said, "Because you owe tax money."
0:03:49 > 0:03:54The caller claimed that Josie owed ?980 in backdated tax repayments
0:03:54 > 0:03:58and, because of it, she was due in court the following day.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Worse still, she could face prison
0:04:00 > 0:04:03if the matter wasn't resolved right now.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04I thought I was going to jail.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08I really thought, what's going to happen to me here?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11It was terrifying. It was really terrifying.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15The caller claimed that Josie had failed to respond to letters seeking
0:04:15 > 0:04:19repayment of the amount of tax that she apparently owed.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Of course, she'd never received any such letters.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22But the threat of prison
0:04:22 > 0:04:26made the demands for repayment that day very persuasive.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29And she was told that the quickest way of settling the matter
0:04:29 > 0:04:32was to pay using iTunes vouchers.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36iTunes vouchers are often purchased as gifts and come in values between
0:04:36 > 0:04:38?25 and ?100.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Normally used to purchase music, games and films online,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45they are widely available in a number of stores
0:04:45 > 0:04:49and the man who claimed to be from the HMRC told Josie
0:04:49 > 0:04:52that she could get hers from the nearby supermarkets.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55He told me to write it down and put it on a piece of paper.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58I wasn't aware I was getting music vouchers,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02I thought I was getting vouchers for the tax office.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06I said to him, "You know, is this a scam?"
0:05:06 > 0:05:08That's when he said to me, "No, dear, if I was scamming you,
0:05:08 > 0:05:10"I would be asking for your bank details.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15"I'm trying to help you, so as you're not going to court tomorrow."
0:05:15 > 0:05:18So that sort of...made me think it was OK.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Josie said she would ask her daughter to drive her,
0:05:21 > 0:05:25but the caller instructed her that it would be much quicker to jump into a taxi
0:05:25 > 0:05:28and buy the vouchers straightaway.
0:05:28 > 0:05:35He said, "It'll take you 10 to 15 minutes to go to Tesco's in a taxi."
0:05:35 > 0:05:38I thought, is he sitting about somewhere watching my house?
0:05:39 > 0:05:40Does he know where I live?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44It was an anxious journey to the supermarket.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49I was sitting in a taxi, I just sat there and hoping,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52can I get these things and get this sorted out?
0:05:52 > 0:05:55I just couldn't think, is somebody coming to arrest me,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57what's going to happen to me tomorrow?
0:05:57 > 0:06:02Josie visited two local supermarkets in order to buy the ?980 worth
0:06:02 > 0:06:03of iTunes vouchers.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Each one has a unique number on the back,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09which is revealed by scratching off a panel.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10When she returned home,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13she called the scammer and gave them the vouchers' numbers,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17meaning they could go on to spend these vouchers online.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20When Josie's daughter popped around 30 minutes later
0:06:20 > 0:06:22and heard what had happened,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24she realised that her mother had been scammed.
0:06:24 > 0:06:30I said, "The taxman wouldn't ring you and ask you to go and get iTunes vouchers."
0:06:30 > 0:06:35Then actually, half an hour later, the person on the phone rang
0:06:35 > 0:06:38and I answered the phone.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39They said to me, "Who am I speaking to?"
0:06:39 > 0:06:41I said, "Who am I speaking to?"
0:06:41 > 0:06:47They asked for my mum. I said, "My mum's not coming to the phone."
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Josie and Amanda reported the incident to the police,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Action Fraud and Apple, the company that runs iTunes.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56But with the vouchers working in the same way as cash,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59the money Josie had spent had gone for good,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02and months later she still feels vulnerable in her own home
0:07:02 > 0:07:04and even dreads her phone ringing.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08You shouldn't have to feel like this inside your own home.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11You should feel that this is my house,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I shouldn't have to be taking calls like this that I don't want.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Josie's experience did at least
0:07:16 > 0:07:19stop someone else in the area from losing out.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Her next door neighbour, Roy Kelly,
0:07:21 > 0:07:25is a taxi driver and a few weeks later, he was booked by a fare,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28which soon became clear, had been targeted in the same way.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34It was an elderly gentleman that I'd picked up.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37He had asked for a... It's called a wait and return.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41He asked me to take him down to Tesco's.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43He was going to run in for a few minutes
0:07:43 > 0:07:45to collect something and come out.
0:07:45 > 0:07:50As his customer told him more, Roy became increasingly concerned.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53He said the Inland Revenue had got in touch with him that morning,
0:07:53 > 0:07:59saying that there was a ?2,500 rebate for him.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01But they needed an administration fee first,
0:08:01 > 0:08:06before an individual for the Inland Revenue would be out that afternoon.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09So they needed ?150 worth of iTunes vouchers.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Mention of the iTunes vouchers reminded Roy
0:08:12 > 0:08:14of what had happened to his neighbour, Josie.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16So, he was able to warn the man
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and stop him buying the vouchers just in time.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23But, clearly, there are plenty of other people who have been tricked
0:08:23 > 0:08:25into handing over iTunes vouchers in this way,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28because when we contacted HMRC,
0:08:28 > 0:08:32it was well aware of the scam and of how its name was being used to give
0:08:32 > 0:08:36it the legitimacy needed to spur people into taking immediate action.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41It stressed that any requests to pay tax through iTunes gift cards
0:08:41 > 0:08:45or any other type of voucher should be considered as fraud,
0:08:45 > 0:08:48while warning that the fraudsters can be very convincing
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and use intimidation to get what they want.
0:08:51 > 0:08:56HMRC also said it's working closely with law enforcement agencies
0:08:56 > 0:09:00to ensure that no more taxpayers fall victim to these types of scams
0:09:00 > 0:09:04and encouraged anyone who has been affected to contact Action Fraud.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09But I'm afraid all of this is just the tip of the iceberg
0:09:09 > 0:09:12when it comes to scams involving iTunes vouchers.
0:09:12 > 0:09:13Because they can't be traced,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16they have become very appealing to fraudsters who,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18we know from your letters and e-mails,
0:09:18 > 0:09:22are using all sorts of other stories to persuade you to hand some over.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25And Peter Marsden from Sheffield
0:09:25 > 0:09:28is just one of those people to contact us
0:09:28 > 0:09:29after losing hundreds of pounds
0:09:29 > 0:09:32in the belief that he was dealing with a loan company.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36Problems with his credit rating meant Peter had found it difficult
0:09:36 > 0:09:38to borrow the money he needed to move to a bigger flat.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40So, after searching online,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44he was delighted to suddenly receive a call from a company that seemed
0:09:44 > 0:09:46happy to help.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50On the initial contact, this lady, Elizabeth,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54said to me they could do the loans at a cheaper rate because it was
0:09:54 > 0:09:56a government-backed incentive
0:09:56 > 0:09:59to help people that were struggling with their credit rating.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02The loan company said that Peter's request to borrow
0:10:02 > 0:10:05?5,000 wouldn't be a problem.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07She actually said to me, "Mr Marsden,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10"we can provide you with that ?5,000 loan.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15"We can do it at a rate of 6% over three years, that would be a repayment,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18"a monthly payment of ?160."
0:10:18 > 0:10:21That was absolutely perfect for what I was looking for.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25And I thought at the time, it seems too good to be true.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26And so it proved.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Peter was told that to secure the loan he had to prove he had capital,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and he was to make an initial payment of ?500,
0:10:33 > 0:10:34which would be refunded,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and this should be made using iTunes vouchers.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40He had to borrow the money to buy them from friends and relatives,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and it took a few days to get the amount needed.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46You can get an iTunes voucher up to ?100,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49but none of the stores had that amount of them available.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53So I ended up having to buy the ?50 ones, multiples of ?50,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55?200 to ?300 for each,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58depending on how much stock each store had actually got.
0:10:58 > 0:11:03The loans company told Peter they would pay him the ?5,000
0:11:03 > 0:11:06after it had received proof that he had bought the vouchers.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Once I have the vouchers in my hand, I took them home, sat down,
0:11:10 > 0:11:15with a coin, and scraped off to reveal the actual voucher number.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Peter then photographed the numbers and sent them through
0:11:18 > 0:11:21to what he assumed was the loans company.
0:11:21 > 0:11:22But a few hours later,
0:11:22 > 0:11:27he was still waiting for the ?5,000 loan to appear in his account.
0:11:27 > 0:11:35So I called them and that's when they told me they had got a problem and needed more vouchers.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39A further ?300, to which I just said no, there's something wrong,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42I don't think this is right. I refused to go any further,
0:11:42 > 0:11:47and I tried to recover the ?500 in vouchers that I'd paid them.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48But obviously,
0:11:48 > 0:11:52all my requests for a refund were denied.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Peter realised that it had all been a con,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58so that the fraudsters could get the voucher numbers.
0:11:58 > 0:12:04The company made what looked like an honest offer of a legitimate loan,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07and it turns out it wasn't a loan they were offering me at all.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11They were just trying to get ?500 in iTunes vouchers,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14which are more difficult to trace than cash through a bank.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Peter is angry with himself falling for it and, of course,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21he now owes family and friends the money that they lent him.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25His sister, Elaine, says the fraud has affected all of them.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27This has really upset him.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31No-one likes to see their family upset.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35And he is.
0:12:35 > 0:12:36Sorry.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40It's really upset me.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48?500 might not be a lot of money to some people,
0:12:48 > 0:12:53but to Peter, it was a way of being able to move.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Police believe the fraudsters sell on the voucher codes and are issuing
0:12:57 > 0:13:01warnings across the country to prevent others being conned in the same way
0:13:01 > 0:13:03as Josie, Peter, and who knows how many others?
0:13:04 > 0:13:08If you're not familiar with iTunes vouchers, Apple,
0:13:08 > 0:13:10the company that issues them, has made it clear -
0:13:10 > 0:13:15the crucial thing to remember is they can only be used to make purchases
0:13:15 > 0:13:18on the iTunes website and App Store.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22So if you receive a call, text or message that leads to requests
0:13:22 > 0:13:26for them as payment for anything else, the advice is simple.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30However scary or credible the story you are being told,
0:13:30 > 0:13:35ignore it and report it, because the whole thing is just a scam.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Now, anyone who's ever set up a business won't need reminding how tricky
0:13:44 > 0:13:47it can be in those first few weeks and months just to stay afloat.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49In that opening period especially,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53getting the right kind of publicity to generate more interest
0:13:53 > 0:13:55and customers is essential.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58But using the wrong kind of people to promote your company can end up
0:13:58 > 0:14:01being a waste of time and money.
0:14:01 > 0:14:02And that, unfortunately,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06proved to be the case with a number of people who unwittingly
0:14:06 > 0:14:09got caught up in the schemes of a criminal gang.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12They managed to convince their targets to hand over hundreds,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16sometimes thousands of pounds in return for promises
0:14:16 > 0:14:18that they repeatedly failed to keep.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Anyone is fair game to a fraudster,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26and certainly Polly Zabari from Surrey could have had no idea
0:14:26 > 0:14:31that she was going to find herself caught up in one of the country's largest and most complex frauds.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33At the time it happened,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36she was running her own successful travel firm.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41I fell into the travel industry purely because my ex-husband was a tour guide in Israel.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45I do holy trips, so I do Rome, Malta, Lourdes,
0:14:45 > 0:14:49anywhere people want to go, really, but Israel is my main market.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53Polly's small holiday firm went from strength to strength.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Word of mouth and great reviews meant that by 2010,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59she was running up to 18 annual foreign tours
0:14:59 > 0:15:03with a turnover of around ?300,000 a year.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05It was quite nice to be able to work from home,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08running my own business that I was proud of,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10and making enough money to sustain us all.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14And then an unexpected call
0:15:14 > 0:15:16seemed to suggest all the hard work had paid off.
0:15:16 > 0:15:17Hello?
0:15:17 > 0:15:22I received a phone call to say that I'd won some prestigious award
0:15:22 > 0:15:25as best independent tour operator
0:15:25 > 0:15:28and that this award was backed by British Airways,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32and that part of the award was a double-page spread in their
0:15:32 > 0:15:37newspaper, which had a phenomenal distribution.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Polly had been called by a company based in Derby,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42called the Wyvern Media Group,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45not to be confused with companies of a similar name.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48It claimed to be a publisher of free newspapers with a distribution
0:15:48 > 0:15:52running into tens of thousands.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55He went on and on about how fantastic this was, how I had been selected,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and it was really quite flattering.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01I admit, I was completely bowled over by it all.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04The first thing I did was ring my mum and tell her.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07The only catch with this wonderful-sounding reward,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09and the resulting publicity,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13was that Polly would have to pay a small cost of ?50
0:16:13 > 0:16:16to help with the article's publication.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19He did tell me that if I'd taken out advertising across the double page
0:16:19 > 0:16:22spread in colour, it would have cost me thousands.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26I mean, obviously making the ?50, to me, seem quite paltry.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28So I gave him my debit card details.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31And that was the only time that I gave him my card details.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36The caller from Wyvern Media Group assured Polly that,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38given the backing of such a prestigious company
0:16:38 > 0:16:42as British Airways, and with their own huge distribution,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44all this would be a great thing for her travel firm.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46But with so much riding on it,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49she asked to see the article before it was published.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53The copy was so badly written,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56I think my eight-year-old probably could have written something better.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58And even then, alarm bells didn't go off.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00I rewrote it and sent it back to them.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03You know, in hindsight, I can't believe how stupid I was.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06But I think the flattery had won me over.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Over the coming weeks,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Polly received dozens and dozens of calls from Wyvern Media Group,
0:17:11 > 0:17:14apparently to check facts.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17I think, in all, over a period of five or six weeks,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21I probably received 40 or 50 phone calls,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23really to a point where it was getting really annoying.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26So they'd check the spelling of my surname,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29or they'd just check my address, or they would check...
0:17:29 > 0:17:30You know, just a small detail.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Each time, that is all they ever seemed to ring about,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36to the point where I was giving the same information three, four,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39five times a day to different people.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40Despite all that,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Polly was never sent a copy of the final printed article,
0:17:43 > 0:17:46nor did she receive the award she has supposedly won
0:17:46 > 0:17:50or even a certificate. And it was only when she heard from her bank
0:17:50 > 0:17:54that she realised what all those calls had really been about.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58I didn't realise that anything was wrong
0:17:58 > 0:18:00until I got my bank statements.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04And I just saw these endless withdrawals.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08It was one of only two times in my life when my knees actually gave way
0:18:08 > 0:18:12beneath me. It was just that huge realisation that I'd been duped.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Over the period of six weeks,
0:18:14 > 0:18:19Wyvern Media Group had drained her account of ?18,000.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22But it had been taken out in lots of small amounts,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24using the card details she'd provided
0:18:24 > 0:18:28when she paid the first ?50 setting-up fee.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29It kind of clicked into place,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32that every phone call that I had had from somebody,
0:18:32 > 0:18:37probably tallied with an amount of money going out of my bank account.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Every time Wyvern Media Group had called Polly,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42they had put a charge against that call,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44creating an invoice and helping themselves
0:18:44 > 0:18:46to the money in her account.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Polly phoned her bank to report the fraud,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51and also contacted Trading Standards,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55where staff were already very familiar with Wyvern Media Group.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00And the man who was investigating complaints was James Delaney.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04We had a significant amount of complaints about businesses
0:19:04 > 0:19:07who had paid for this advertising
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and their card details had been reused without their permission,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14and people had lost significant sums of money.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16As the investigation continued,
0:19:16 > 0:19:20it became clear that the Wyvern Media Group business was huge.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23It had 12 offices across the UK,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26employed 250 people and it generated
0:19:26 > 0:19:30a turnover of over ?7 million a year.
0:19:30 > 0:19:36This was an enormous, organised fraud on an industrial scale.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38It was an enormous business,
0:19:38 > 0:19:43with a considerable amount of organisation and infrastructure behind it.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Trading Standards had dozens of complaints similar to Polly's,
0:19:47 > 0:19:48with the pattern always the same -
0:19:48 > 0:19:52small-business owners were tricked into handing over their bank card
0:19:52 > 0:19:55details, and then were called over and over again.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00And each call would lead to money being taken without permission.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03The call centre staff that were employed by the group were trained
0:20:03 > 0:20:08in the dark arts of cold calling and pressurised sales.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13They were extremely convincing and deceptive in terms of how they
0:20:13 > 0:20:15approached and executed their sales.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20With enough evidence that this was a fraud on a massive scale,
0:20:20 > 0:20:24in November 2012, the police, alongside Trading Standards,
0:20:24 > 0:20:29simultaneously raided the company's offices in Nottingham, Rugby,
0:20:29 > 0:20:36Leamington Spa, Slough, Taunton, Bristol, Gloucester and Derby.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41They confiscated tens of thousands of documents.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Steve Wyatt was the senior investigating officer
0:20:44 > 0:20:49who had to organise wading through all that paperwork to build a case.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53I was quite shocked when I walked into the head office at Derby,
0:20:53 > 0:20:58to see the amount of documents that were there.
0:20:58 > 0:21:04We needed to bring in teams of officers to sift through the evidence,
0:21:04 > 0:21:09to look through for any documents or other exhibits
0:21:09 > 0:21:13that could be relevant to the case.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16During their raids, officers came across thousands of documents,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19including copies of the newspapers Wyvern Media Group claimed to
0:21:19 > 0:21:22distribute to tens of thousands of people.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27But even to Steve's untrained eye, they looked amateurish at best.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29This is one of the newspapers.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33You'll see the quality is extremely poor.
0:21:33 > 0:21:39And also, our victim has been sold multiple advertisements
0:21:39 > 0:21:41in the one newspaper.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45His feature appears on the front page,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49and also on the inside of the front page
0:21:49 > 0:21:54is an exact copy of what appears on the front page.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59In all, our victim paid over ?8,000
0:21:59 > 0:22:02for his advertisements in this newspaper.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Which didn't go anywhere.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Wyvern Media Group would produce these papers as proof they were
0:22:08 > 0:22:10a legitimate company.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15Each paper was printed 5,000 times.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20And the reason for that was that enabled the sales staff,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24when asked about the distribution numbers,
0:22:24 > 0:22:29the sales staff were able to say 4,000 to 5,000.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32But they would always say it very quickly,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34to make it sound like 45,000.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37And this was something that we found that ran as a theme
0:22:37 > 0:22:41throughout the whole of the Wyvern Media offices.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43The man behind the company was Jonathan Rivers,
0:22:43 > 0:22:48who'd made a fortune at the expense of thousands of customers.
0:22:48 > 0:22:55Jonathan Rivers was the main driving force behind the Wyvern Media Group.
0:22:55 > 0:23:01He had complete control over every part of the business.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05The police and Trading Standards investigation was so huge
0:23:05 > 0:23:09that it lasted six years and it wasn't until October 2016
0:23:09 > 0:23:13that Jonathan Rivers and his cohorts were finally brought to justice.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15At Nottingham Crown Court,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Rivers admitted fraudulent trading
0:23:17 > 0:23:21after more than 500 complaints against his company were lodged.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23He was jailed for six years.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Four other members of staff were also jailed and a further seven
0:23:26 > 0:23:28were given suspended sentences.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31These people are ruthless.
0:23:31 > 0:23:37Their main objective is just simply to take money from people.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39What people don't understand is that
0:23:39 > 0:23:43once they've handed over their credit card details,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46then they're handing over control of their bank account
0:23:46 > 0:23:49to whoever they've given the details to.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52With the ringleaders behind bars,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54the police are attempting to recoup
0:23:54 > 0:23:57some of the money the company's victims have lost.
0:23:57 > 0:24:04And, in Surrey, Polly's bank did reimburse her ?11,000 of the ?18,000 taken.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I think now the case is over it would be nice to think
0:24:07 > 0:24:10that maybe I could get my money back. I mean,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13it's been seven or eight years since it was taken and it would be quite
0:24:13 > 0:24:16nice to have it back, as it's rightfully mine.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20For Trading Standards, this was the biggest case of its kind.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22And with a successful prosecution,
0:24:22 > 0:24:26they hope fraudsters will think twice about running such a scam again.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29It's a massive result for the team.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34It sends out a message that we won't tolerate businesses that go to these
0:24:34 > 0:24:39lengths to defraud consumers and businesses.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43And being able to successfully take home a job of this size and scale
0:24:43 > 0:24:47does bring a certain amount of satisfaction and pride to the team.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55Still to come on Rip-Off Britain,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58the companies repeatedly selling their targets vitamin pills
0:24:58 > 0:25:01and products costing hundreds of pounds -
0:25:01 > 0:25:03but how much of what they're flogging
0:25:03 > 0:25:05is even what they say it is?
0:25:05 > 0:25:08I was really upset.
0:25:08 > 0:25:09I was gobsmacked, actually.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11I felt angry, I felt...
0:25:11 > 0:25:16upset that I hadn't picked up on it, to be quite honest.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17Sorry...
0:25:21 > 0:25:26The Trafford Centre in Manchester was this year's venue for our annual Rip-Off Britain pop-up shop,
0:25:26 > 0:25:27where one of the real joys
0:25:27 > 0:25:30is meeting up with as many of you as we possibly can.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Good morning, how are you?
0:25:32 > 0:25:34I think I'll keep you with me today, Henry.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37You'd be a very good sparring partner, do you know that?
0:25:37 > 0:25:38Do I get a kiss bye-bye?
0:25:38 > 0:25:40A slobbery one!
0:25:40 > 0:25:42A nice slobbery one?
0:25:42 > 0:25:43Lovely.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Now, one of the people keen to get some help from our team of experts
0:25:46 > 0:25:48was 70-year-old Roy Saddler.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52He's come to see our technology guru, David McLelland,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55about a very frustrating problem with his phone line.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56Right, David is your man.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Tell us what the problem is, exactly.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Periodically, I get very loud crackling noises
0:26:02 > 0:26:04that cut the broadband off.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07And do you hear it on the telephone, when you're talking to people?
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Oh, yes. Yes, very much so.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Roy has complained about these noises to his service provider.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16But while the company has sent out engineers numerous times
0:26:16 > 0:26:17to look at the connection,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Roy says the issue still hasn't been resolved.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24And, for some of the visits, he's even had to foot the bill.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28If an engineer comes round and finds there is a problem in the house,
0:26:28 > 0:26:32he wants to charge me ?165, which I've paid twice up till now.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37So that means you've paid ?330, and you've still not got it checked?
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Since then, it's been a fault in the exchange,
0:26:40 > 0:26:45it's been my line has been hit by lightning, and it's the router.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Well, after more than two years of the same problem,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Roy is hoping that David can give him some advice to get it sorted out
0:26:51 > 0:26:53once and for all.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54Let's boil this down a little bit.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57The problem here is with the line that's coming from the exchange
0:26:57 > 0:26:58into your house. Correct.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02So it's not necessarily a broadband issue, it's a telephone line issue.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Correct. It's those copper lines that provide the various services
0:27:06 > 0:27:09to your house. The challenge you've got is providing evidence to say,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11I've got a problem with my line.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13When they turn up, there is no problem.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Yet you're experiencing problems all the time.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18So you need to show somehow that you've got those problems.
0:27:18 > 0:27:22The name of the game here, I'm afraid to say, is one of persistence.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25You've called engineers around, they're been doing lots of things,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28apart from actually testing the line.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Exactly. Because that's the thing that takes them time,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33and it takes them money, and they're under pressure.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36But if you keep on calling them out, at the end of the day,
0:27:36 > 0:27:37they're going to have to say, well,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41either we fix this line or we're going to be round here every couple of weeks.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43But should he have paid that money in the first place,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46if it's actually a problem with the line? I don't believe so, no.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48If there's a fault within your property,
0:27:48 > 0:27:49then you are liable for those costs.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53If it's outside your property, it is the infrastructure,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55it's the service provider who bears those costs.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58They think that they've found the fault inside your house,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02but the fault is still there, so it's clearly not inside your house.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04I feel your frustration.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Thank you very much. It's a very unfair service that you've been
0:28:07 > 0:28:10receiving, and paying a lot of money for.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12After visiting the pop-up shop,
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Roy did again speak to his phone provider,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17but alas, his phone line still crackles.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20But he's ever hopeful that one day it will be sorted out.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Meanwhile, shoppers have been lining up in their droves
0:28:25 > 0:28:26at our Gripe Corner,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29ready to get some of their consumer grumbles off their chest.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32What gets me really annoyed is bad customer service,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35when people are serving you and not paying attention to you.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37What really annoys me is the price of car insurance.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Why is it he lives ten miles away, and his insurance is cheaper?
0:28:40 > 0:28:43You know what, what's the point in having a car?
0:28:43 > 0:28:46What annoys me is when you go out shopping
0:28:46 > 0:28:48and they never have the things in your size!
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Now, I'm afraid every year on Rip-Off Britain,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56we are contacted by viewers concerned that a friend
0:28:56 > 0:28:58or elderly relative has been persuaded to sign up
0:28:58 > 0:29:03to something that leads them to handing over hundreds or even thousands of pounds
0:29:03 > 0:29:07for products or promises that simply do not stack up.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09And in most cases, they're all just an out and out scam.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Very often, of course, the claims made to convince people to hand over
0:29:12 > 0:29:15their cash are all too convincing.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19So we've taken a look at some of the worst cases that you've told us about recently,
0:29:19 > 0:29:22to see if there's anything that will stand up to scrutiny or,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26indeed, maybe it was all just a big pack of lies from the beginning.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33We've long been told of the importance of a balanced diet
0:29:33 > 0:29:34to live a long and healthy life.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36And as we get that bit older,
0:29:36 > 0:29:39we're often advised to top up what we're eating with supplements,
0:29:39 > 0:29:43to make sure that we get the vitamins and minerals we need
0:29:43 > 0:29:47to keep the joints moving and our brains in tiptop condition.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51So when 89-year-old Dorothy from Watford had a call from a company
0:29:51 > 0:29:56offering to sell her some vitamins, she felt compelled to say yes.
0:29:56 > 0:29:57But Dorothy's daughter, Sue,
0:29:57 > 0:30:01says the cold caller was not entirely honest right from the beginning.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05She said that she got the impression
0:30:05 > 0:30:07that maybe they had this from her GP,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10that they knew what her ailments possibly were.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15But they directed it as if they were a doctor speaking. You know,
0:30:15 > 0:30:17"What day-to-day issues do you have?
0:30:17 > 0:30:19"What health care issues do you have?"
0:30:19 > 0:30:21Being really quite personal,
0:30:21 > 0:30:27and getting details from her about her health condition.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Thinking the caller had some connection with her doctor,
0:30:30 > 0:30:32Dorothy agreed to buy some vitamins
0:30:32 > 0:30:34and gave her bank details over the phone.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37But I'm afraid that was just the start.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Dorothy was then inundated with calls from other vitamin companies
0:30:40 > 0:30:44as well, and each time, she ended up buying more.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49Why do you feel you continued to buy them, Mum?
0:30:49 > 0:30:51What was it that made you?
0:30:51 > 0:30:55I don't know, just thought it would do me good.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58I don't think she would have really understood
0:30:58 > 0:31:01what was occurring, what was happening.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05Overwhelmed and really confused by the number of calls,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Dorothy kept on buying more vitamins, and her daughter, Sue,
0:31:08 > 0:31:12only found out what was happening when she noticed regular payments
0:31:12 > 0:31:17of up to ?900 leaving her mother's account.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21I was really upset, I was gobsmacked, actually.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24I felt angry. I felt...
0:31:24 > 0:31:27upset that I hadn't picked up on it, to be quite honest.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28Sorry...
0:31:31 > 0:31:36Hi, Mum. I just thought we'd have a quick look through these together.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38Over a period of 15 months,
0:31:38 > 0:31:42Dorothy had spent an incredible ?24,000 on vitamins,
0:31:42 > 0:31:44money she just can't afford to lose.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49We reached the point where, on the month when it all came to light,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53she'd actually for the first time gone into arrears on her bank account.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57And we had to get money transferred in to get it back into credit,
0:31:57 > 0:32:00and that was very alarming.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04Sue called Dorothy's bank and asked them to block any further payments.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07But the bank explained that staff had actually called Dorothy
0:32:07 > 0:32:11to query the transactions, but she confirmed that all was OK.
0:32:11 > 0:32:19They showed us various recorded details of where the bank had directly phoned my mum,
0:32:19 > 0:32:23and where they had requested her to confirm that she was happy
0:32:23 > 0:32:28with some of the amounts that were going out of her bank account.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32And each time they contacted her, she just said,
0:32:32 > 0:32:36"Yes, I did authorise that payment."
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Sue's next call was to Hertfordshire Trading Standards,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41where Sue Shanahan took up Dorothy's case.
0:32:43 > 0:32:48I did ask her, "Why do you not just put the phone down?"
0:32:48 > 0:32:51And she said, "You know, I've tried, I tell them no,
0:32:51 > 0:32:55"but they just keep going on and on, and on, they are so persistent,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58"they won't take no for an answer, so I just give in.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01"You know, I don't want the confrontation,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04"it's just easier to get the bank card and pay up."
0:33:04 > 0:33:07It's so sad, but Sue and her colleagues have heard many similar stories
0:33:07 > 0:33:11about vitamin companies that repeatedly target the elderly.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15And she's keen to raise awareness of how they typically operate.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18I'm aware that there are dozens of these health care companies
0:33:18 > 0:33:21out there at the moment who are targeting our elderly and vulnerable
0:33:21 > 0:33:23over the phone to sell them vitamins.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28If they find a victim who will pay up, who will not complain,
0:33:28 > 0:33:32not contact their bank, then they will target them again and,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35as well as that, they will pass on their details
0:33:35 > 0:33:37to other companies to target.
0:33:37 > 0:33:42Which is why we end up with so many of these products being sold,
0:33:42 > 0:33:44when they are not wanted or not needed.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48It's a massive, massive problem and hundreds,
0:33:48 > 0:33:50thousands of pounds are being spent.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56And these expensive products are not just sold over the phone.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58Many vitamin companies target pensioners by post,
0:33:58 > 0:34:02seizing their attention with the promise of a huge cash prize.
0:34:04 > 0:34:10"Yes, you've won ?15,500 - nought, nought -
0:34:10 > 0:34:13"in our multi-wins grand draw.
0:34:13 > 0:34:20"This sum is available from this morning, so claim it right away."
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Margaret from Brighton, who has Alzheimer's,
0:34:23 > 0:34:25received a letter many of us will have come across,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28telling her she had won a small fortune
0:34:28 > 0:34:30and all she had to do to release the money
0:34:30 > 0:34:32was to sign up and buy some vitamins.
0:34:32 > 0:34:36It was a message that she found very hard to resist.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40Now, on all of those, I would have done something,
0:34:40 > 0:34:44bought something, or whatever I had to do.
0:34:44 > 0:34:45Even to her son, Richard,
0:34:45 > 0:34:49the offer of a cash prize seemed quite convincing.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52There is everything on there that would lead you to believe
0:34:52 > 0:34:57that you were just one more cheque away, I think, from riches.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01It seemed to Margaret that she had nothing to lose,
0:35:01 > 0:35:03with the benefits of taking vitamins,
0:35:03 > 0:35:07coupled with the promise of the ?15,500 prize,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09she was happy to place an order.
0:35:09 > 0:35:10But once she made a purchase,
0:35:10 > 0:35:14more companies called to sell her even more vitamins,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16and soon she was buying supplements faster
0:35:16 > 0:35:18than she could ever have taken them.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23They did get put over here, on this kitchen surface.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25And they came out, literally,
0:35:25 > 0:35:29all the way across and about three deep at the worst of it.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32The bottles of pills were in every single room.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Lights! Well, here we've still got
0:35:37 > 0:35:41quite a stack of the Tonic Royals.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44That's one, two, three, four, five, seven of them,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47five of them not even out of their packing.
0:35:47 > 0:35:52One of the companies selling to her is called Biotonic, based in France.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55She bought a product called Tonic Royal with ginseng,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58which contains the honey bee secretion royal jelly -
0:35:58 > 0:36:02said by some to be very good for your immune system.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05She also bought pots and pots of a manganese compound, claimed to be,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08amongst other things, an antioxidant.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11There were also pots of jouvence and lecithine,
0:36:11 > 0:36:13containing that all-important vitamin C,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15another supplement generally thought
0:36:15 > 0:36:17to be really good for the immune system.
0:36:19 > 0:36:24And while we're not going to question the apparent benefits of the supplements themselves,
0:36:24 > 0:36:29we've heard complaints and concerns about Biotonic many times before.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32So, with the company's products hardly what you'd call cheap,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36we were interested to know if it's pills really contain quite as much
0:36:36 > 0:36:38of those key ingredients as they claimed.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43So we asked scientist John Griffin from Kent Scientific Services
0:36:43 > 0:36:46to run some tests on a few of Margaret's pills.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50So, when we tested the four products,
0:36:50 > 0:36:54the results were interesting and varied.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58First up, John tested how much royal jelly was in this Tonic Royal.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03So, when we looked up the honey product, or the Royal Tonic,
0:37:03 > 0:37:07we looked at the sugar profile and certainly the levels of sugar in there
0:37:07 > 0:37:10were consistent with a honey-based material being in there.
0:37:10 > 0:37:15Our estimations were around 30%, so the label declared around 34%.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18So, in terms of information,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20this appeared to be sufficiently accurate.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Now, remember, we weren't questioning if the products
0:37:24 > 0:37:26actually do what's being claimed,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29just whether they even contain the ingredients they're supposed to.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32This first one did, although there was something of a surprise
0:37:32 > 0:37:34with the next product tested,
0:37:34 > 0:37:35the manganese compound.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41We did find manganese. We didn't find it at the level they declared.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43It was about 19% lower.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47The acceptable tolerance in terms of accuracy of information is 20%.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51So it just crept within that acceptable tolerance.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55The accuracy of this information certainly could be a lot tighter.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59So, this product contained just about enough manganese to pass,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02but still 19% less than you pay for.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06And things were even worse with the final two tablets,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09sold as being full of vitamin C.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12So, when we looked at the jouvence and the lecithine tablets,
0:38:12 > 0:38:17the level of vitamin C present was significantly less than the declared values.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21In one case, it was less than 1% of the declared value.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23In the other, it was around about half.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26So the levels of vitamin C there
0:38:26 > 0:38:29would not allow you to make any health claims based on the intake,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32or based on the number of tablets you should take per day.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36So, would really have no beneficial nutritional effects whatsoever.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39In other words, these pills, of which Margaret has bought
0:38:39 > 0:38:42dozens and dozens of pots, really aren't worth the money,
0:38:42 > 0:38:45as she would really struggle to feel the health benefits
0:38:45 > 0:38:48normally associated with this kind of vitamin supplement.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51We put our findings to Biotonic in France,
0:38:51 > 0:38:55but the company didn't respond to any of our questions.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58But for Sue Shanahan at Hertfordshire Trading Standards,
0:38:58 > 0:39:02what we found just confirms what she has always believed,
0:39:02 > 0:39:06that such companies are encouraging older people to waste their money
0:39:06 > 0:39:08on health products that they just don't need,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12and she thinks it's crucial that that message is passed on.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16The advice from Trading Standards for families
0:39:16 > 0:39:18who might be really worried
0:39:18 > 0:39:22about their elderly relations, their vulnerable relations,
0:39:22 > 0:39:26is talk to them about these scams.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Tell them what's going on,
0:39:29 > 0:39:30because the more informed people are,
0:39:30 > 0:39:33the less likely they are to fall for them.
0:39:33 > 0:39:38And it isn't simply the sale of vitamin pills that Sue includes in that warning.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40She's concerned about all manner of other scams,
0:39:40 > 0:39:43from those that have come in a phone call right out of the blue,
0:39:43 > 0:39:47to door-to-door sellers, trying to coach you into buying on the spot.
0:39:47 > 0:39:52Her advice for all of them is to steer well clear.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55If you get a cold call out of the blue, didn't ask them to call,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58didn't want them to call, and someone's trying to sell you something,
0:39:58 > 0:40:01say no. Just don't buy.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03You don't give your bank details to a complete stranger,
0:40:03 > 0:40:05even if they say they are calling from the doctors,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08they're calling from the police, they're calling from your bank.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10They're a stranger, you don't know who they are,
0:40:10 > 0:40:12you don't tell them anything.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14It may sometimes be, of course,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17that an elderly relative has signed up to an expensive scam without
0:40:17 > 0:40:22realising. So Sue advises relatives and friends to be on the lookout
0:40:22 > 0:40:24for suspicious parcels.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28If you're a relation and you're concerned about a family member,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31and you think they might be falling victim to scams,
0:40:31 > 0:40:35look out for unusual products, look out for unusual amounts of products.
0:40:35 > 0:40:40Ask about those products and how they were sold, and be supportive.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Because shame is often what stops people reporting these crimes.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48Now, if you find anything you think is a scam,
0:40:48 > 0:40:52report it to your local Trading Standards and the police immediately.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55Back in Watford, while Dorothy and her daughter have to accept
0:40:55 > 0:40:59that they will never recover the ?24,000 spent on vitamins,
0:40:59 > 0:41:02the good news is that Trading Standards
0:41:02 > 0:41:05has now installed a call blocker on her phone,
0:41:05 > 0:41:09so at least she'll no longer receive any more nuisance calls.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13And Sue wants others to be aware of how easy it is for fraudsters
0:41:13 > 0:41:17to target vulnerable people and what that can end up costing.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22I don't want other families to go through what we've been through.
0:41:22 > 0:41:28And realise just how vulnerable people are.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32So I want people to listen and then maybe look around them.
0:41:32 > 0:41:33It could be a neighbour.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35Check in the nicest way possible,
0:41:35 > 0:41:41that they are not being ripped off for a load of money, or taken for a ride.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43Meanwhile, in Brighton, Margaret,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47who is ?5,000 out of pocket, won't be buying any more tablets either.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52And she'll be ignoring further promises of big cash prizes.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56You get little yellow leaflets every now and again. Yes, to send cash.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58But I don't. No, good girl.
0:41:58 > 0:41:59Excellent. Thank you.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09If you've got a story you'd like us to investigate,
0:42:09 > 0:42:14get in touch with us via our Facebook page, BBC Rip Off Britain,
0:42:14 > 0:42:20our website, bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain,
0:42:20 > 0:42:24or e-mail...
0:42:24 > 0:42:28Or if you want to send us a letter, our address is...
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Well, that's just about all we've got time for today.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44But I must say, it's really shocking
0:42:44 > 0:42:47to see just how ruthless those scammers are.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50There seems to be no limit to what they'll do or say to get their
0:42:50 > 0:42:51hands on someone else's money.
0:42:51 > 0:42:56So, a huge, genuine thanks to everyone who has shared their experience with us today,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59because, as we've said on this programme many times before,
0:42:59 > 0:43:01any one of us could be scammed.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04And it really is only with the help people who are prepared to talk about
0:43:04 > 0:43:09what's happened to them that we can be warned and stop others from being
0:43:09 > 0:43:11taken in in the same way.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14So, if you find yourself targeted by a scammer in any way at all,
0:43:14 > 0:43:16please do let us know.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19You can bet this is a topic we will be coming back to again and again.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22Also, keep sending us your other consumer stories as well,
0:43:22 > 0:43:25because the team is working on many more programmes
0:43:25 > 0:43:27for the next few months.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30So it could be your experience we're investigating on one of them.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32But for now, that's where we leave it.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34From all of us on the Rip Off Britain team,
0:43:34 > 0:43:37thanks for your company and we'll see you soon.
0:43:37 > 0:43:38Goodbye. Bye.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12Three reasons we love Eurovision - the costumes.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15Ah, yes! Who could forget the milkmaids?
0:44:15 > 0:44:17The passion. We are unstoppable.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21The commentary? Oh, stop!
0:44:21 > 0:44:23Well, OK, if you insist!