Spot Counterfeits: How to Identify Fakes and Combat Counterfeit Crime

You deserve genuine quality products and our expert team is here to help you make confident purchasing decisions. Whether you're shopping for jewellery, fashion, electronics or accessories, we provide trusted guidance to help you spot authentic items every time. Spot Counterfeits is here to help.

Most Read

The Bolton Forgers

A family in Bolton ran a £10 million art forgery operation for 17 years, fooling museums and experts from a garden shed.

Bogus Workmen and Your Rights

Protect yourself from cowboy builders by learning how to spot dodgy tradesmen and check a worker's credentials before you hire them.

Information on Big Brand Fakes

Counterfeit goods are harder to spot than you think, but Trading Standards and consumer watchdogs can help you avoid fakes.

Are Those Cheap Sunglasses Real Designer Label?

Counterfeit designer sunglasses might look real but can actually damage your eyes because fake lenses don't block UV rays properly.

Browse Topics

Jewellery Fashion Other Areas Accessories Counterfeit Business Electronics Famous Counterfeits

Latest Articles and Tools

How the Software Industry is Fighting Counterfeits

Software companies are raising prices to fight counterfeits, mostly made in Asia, while dealing with corruption and varying government cooperation.

What the Office of Fair Trading Can Do

The Office of Fair Trading protects consumers by shaping policy, warning about counterfeits, and coordinating with agencies worldwide to stop fake goods.

The Most Counterfeited Brand

Louis Vuitton is the world's most counterfeited brand, a status rooted in its century-old reputation for luxury and class.

Fake Weddings Cakes

Couples save thousands on wedding cakes by using fake tiers that look real until someone cuts into them.

Fake Apple Items

Police seized $10 million worth of fake Apple products that looked real but lacked the actual software to run them.

The Ultimate Price for Fake Money

Counterfeiting used to mean death: coin clippers faced execution or burning at the stake for attacking the realm's currency.

Anatasios Arnaouti and the Counterfeit Money

An ex-con living a lavish lifestyle sparked an investigation that uncovered a major counterfeit currency operation.

Pirating E-books

E-book piracy is growing as digital reading expands, with pirates either scanning physical copies or cracking retailer security codes.

Which Counterfeits Hit the Market Before the Real Thing?

Fake versions of some products hit stores before the real ones, especially electronics with high demand and anticipated release dates.

Fake Cigars Are Big Business

Counterfeit Cuban cigars make up roughly 80 percent of the market, made illegally in homes using factory scraps and stolen bands.

About This Site

Real or Fake? How to Spot Counterfeits...