Of these, the majority (31,000) were in the UK following action by the City of London police’s intellectual property crime unit.The vast majority of these sites, while having a .uk domain name, originate from criminal gangs in Asia that set them up using the details of often unwitting members of the UK public, said DI Nick Court, from the City of London police.In some cases, people who have had their identity stolen could be associated with hundreds of sites and have received complaints about the goods sold to other consumers. Fashion is a complex market, and counterfeit fashion just as complex. Whether you know of the website that it is coming from also adds to credibility, or lack thereof.“All of those things can start to combine to create a picture of a legit product,” he said.“Anything that is particularly trending and popular at that point of time and is a ridiculous price point, I would say to be extremely sceptical of.”.There are two types of people who buy fake goods – those who don’t know and those who don’t care. "And the same goes for people stealing a design, or a logo. Trademark marks are indistinguishable to the originals".What is distinguishable is the price. Nor are we talking about people who genuinely believe the goods they buy are the real thing.We're talking about those who are happy to get knock-off designer items for knock-down prices.

Woolverton) recommends reporting items to the seller first. Wrong. Say you need a new watch and don’t want to spend a lot of money to get one. There's still skill in the manufacture of making something that can be confused with the original, skilled workers are still needed.The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau advises consumers to avoid buying fake goods because "you're helping the trader to break the law".The bureau, which is affiliated to the City of London Police, also claims:Research suggests about three million consumers every year buy counterfeit goods carrying one of the top designer labels, such as Yves Saint Laurent, Burberry or Gucci. Counterfeit bags and watches have long been a feature on every beachfront where holidaymakers have taken their summer break, but with the growth of the internet has come a surge in sales of fake goods made by workers in dismal working conditions and an increasing number of people prepared to buy them.As a result, a coalition of police forces was assembled in 2014 with the aim of making the internet a safer place for people to shop, under Europol, the EU’s agency for police cooperation. ), they come to realise they were duped. Consumer demand for counterfeit goods is predicted to grow, not just in China or Southeast Asia countries but across the world to UK and EU. Those people who see themselves as being shrewd shoppers willing and able to beat the system may also be more likely to buy counterfeits. Many large fashion brands have their own inhouse antifraud teams set up to tackle fakes and forward details to the police.The old adage remains: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. "Of course they're not. These are external links and will open in a new window.Every time a new haul of fake designer goods is seized we're told that the people who buy them are ruining the reputation of brands, stealing revenue from companies, contributing to an unethical labour market and subsidising organised crime.

Research by Which? That money is then used to fund other types of organised crime.There are a number of avenues if you have been sold fake goods, Which? Handing over personal details also leaves people open to identity theft from the criminal gangs that operate the sites and whose only goal is to make money. "The real issue is when people think they're getting the real thing and they're not. The rate of fake goods is increasing because more people want to buy … Not a loan company.International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition.How Do Contactless Credit Cards Work (and Are They Safe)?What’s the Difference between Credit Report Dispute Methods?How would you pay bills when insurance and savings fail?What Should You Do When You Can’t Pay Rent?Five Ridiculous Tactics Car Lenders and Salesmen Might Use if You Have Bad Credit. Do we have a moral responsibility to ensure the people we buy things from pay their taxes?

We look at the problems with online shopping.The sale of fake goods online has blossomed, as have the problems that come with the illegal products – from perfumes made partially with urine to phone chargers that combust in the middle of the night and children’s toys with dangerous levels of lead. High demand is an indication of successful brand. Many of us indulge in ironic consumption - such as a Breitling watch for a dollar. Earlier this month, a consignment of “Princess Catherine” dolls was stopped in the Czech Republic after being found to have a high level of a toxic compound which is suspected of causing cancer.

It's up to the brand to invest in security for intellectual property. "Louis Vuitton" bags going for a song at a market stall,A real Breitling Bentley (pictured) watch sells for just under £10,000.