As more and more consumers turn to online shopping, more and more counterfeit products including cosmetics, and electronics are invading the web space luring customers into buying them through lucrative offers like huge discounts and freebies. Owing to how dangerous these untested and uncertified products can be, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) have launched an awareness campaign dubbed ‘Wake up – don’t fake up!’ warning consumers of the risks posed by fake beauty products.
According to the City of London Police unit, people in the UK are spending at least £90 million every year on fake goods and this number will increase owing to the increasing popularity of online shopping. PIPCU has said that counterfeit beauty products in particular are becoming increasingly common and easily available online through a range of platforms including auction sites, social media, rogue websites.
Products bought from these places can’t be verified online and consumers would only come to know about their quality once they are delivered. In case of beauty products, general public can’t test them for chemical composition, which makes them all the more dangerous. PIPCU notes that marketing of these fake products doesn’t take a whole lot of efforts as sellers of these products use generic stock images from original manufacturers thereby deceiving consumers into believing they are buying the real deal.
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As far as fake cosmetic products go, PIPCU notes that their laboratory tests have shown counterfeit perfumes often containing poisonous chemicals including cyanide and even human urine. Lab tests of fake cosmetics including eyeliner, mascara, lipgloss and foundation have shown toxic levels of chemicals and harmful substances such as arsenic, mercury and lead. There have been instances wherein rats’ droppings and poison have also been found in the fake cosmetic products.
These dangerous chemicals are known to cause allergic reactions, such as skin irritation, swelling, rashes and burns and some even cause long-term health problems. The police also note that the dangers of counterfeit products multiply as they are often produced in un-sanitised and un-hygienic factories.
In recent years, there have been increased instances of counterfeit sun-creams that are passed off to consumers as being the best and trusted, but they often contain little or no SPF at all and so offer no protection to harmful UV rays which could lead to long term skin damage. Lab tests have shown that these creams contain substances which could cause irritation to the skin.
Counterfeit electrical beauty goods is another area of concern as products such as hair curlers, dryers and straighteners lack the same vigorous safety tests as genuine items because of which they could cause electrocution or overheat and catch fire, potentially burning hair, skin and scalp as well as putting homes and lives at risk.
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City of London Police, Detective Superintendent Maria Woodall who oversees the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) said “Many people don’t know about the real dangers counterfeit beauty products pose to their health and so that is why this week we are urging the public to Wake up – don’t fake up!”
“Criminals are exploiting every opportunity to fool customers into buying counterfeits in order for them to make some quick cash – putting peoples’ health, homes and lives at risk. Beauty products are meant to enhance your features however the fakes can in fact do quite the opposite. Our general rule is; if it seems too good to be true then it probably is!”
PIPCU has been actively protecting consumers and in the last 18 months, the unit has suspended more than 5,500 websites selling fake luxury branded goods and seized more than £3.5million worth of fake goods.
Just last year PIPCU dismantled a criminal operation suspected of importing and selling counterfeit goods. The team seized a shipping container which contained what is believed to be more than 4,700 counterfeit versions of one of the UK’s most popular beauty brands, including foundation, bronzer, lipgloss, eye shadow and eyebrow pencils.
PIPCU is calling upon all online shoppers to be aware that by purchasing counterfeit goods online they are running the risk of their financial and personal details being compromised and being used for other fraudulent scams, as well as exposing their computer to malware and viruses.
“Not only could these products have serious implications to your health and wellbeing but by simply going online and buying from a rogue site or dealer, your personal and financial information is at risk”, added Woodall.
Detective Superintendent added that they have come across consumers who have bought fake items online only to discover later that the criminals behind the site have used their payment details to make further purchases or even use their personal details to set up hundreds of illegal sites selling counterfeit goods.
The PIPCU have also put foward consumer advice and tips for safe online shopping, which can be found here.
