Counterfeit goods

The counterfeit goods trade is the second largest source of criminal income worldwide, second only to drugs. It is intrinsically linked to money laundering and is used to fund other forms of criminal activity such as drugs supply and human trafficking.

Counterfeit products such as car parts and electronics don’t go through the same rigorous safety tests as genuine products, which puts consumers at risk. Laboratory tests of counterfeit cosmetics have found that they can contain harmful chemicals such as arsenic, mercury and lead.

Counterfeiting and piracy were estimated to have cost the UK economy £8.6 billion in 2013 and at least 86,300 job losses in 2016.

Spot counterfeit goods online

Fraudsters create websites that sell products claiming to be from well-known brands. The items being sold are often far from the products advertised and are usually cheap and inferior counterfeits. In some cases, the data provided by customers when they buy products from these websites has been gathered and sold on.

• Check the website to ensure that the retailer has supplied its contact details and that it has a returns policy. Legitimate websites will also have a terms and conditions page, which outlines how a company uses the data you provide.
• Ensure the domain name doesn’t contain words such as ‘genuine’, ‘replica’, ‘discount’ and ‘offer’. The URL for a legitimate website will usually begin with the ‘https’ secure protocol.
• Be wary of retailers that ask for payments to be made via bank transfer. Most legitimate online retailers will accept payments via credit or debit cards and PayPal.
• Look up customer feedback on independent review platforms to ensure the retailer has a solid sales history.

Identify counterfeit products

• Compare the product against the manufacturer's official website. Differences in the materials the item is made from and its dimensions are indicators that the product is fake.
• Check the product packaging to ensure that it’s of a good quality, doesn’t contain spelling errors and that the brand logo isn’t fuzzy.
• Compare the price of the product against the recommended retail price of the genuine item. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Report counterfeit goods to Citizens Advice via https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ or on 0800 144 8848. You can also report anonymously to Crimestoppers via https://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/ or by calling 0800 555 111.