Information on Big Brand Fakes

Why it can be hard to keep up

Guides on spotting fakes are useful, but they only go so far. Counterfeiters keep improving their copies, and brands regularly launch new products, change their packaging and update their labels. A sign that pointed to a genuine item a year ago may not apply today.

Detailed authentication information is not always publicly available. Some brands limit what they publish about the features that protect their products, partly because that detail could help counterfeiters. Useful guidance does exist, spread across brand support pages, official alerts and specialist regulators.

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Official sources worth checking

In England, Scotland and Wales, Trading Standards services are generally provided by local councils. Northern Ireland has a separate Trading Standards Service. Many services publish news about counterfeit goods seized locally, which can include cosmetics, electrical items, toys, car parts and medicines as well as handbags and trainers.

For consumer advice or to report a suspected fake, the usual starting point is Citizens Advice in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland in Scotland, or Consumerline in Northern Ireland. Relevant reports can be passed to Trading Standards, which does not normally pursue an individual refund on your behalf. Neither these services nor brands will necessarily authenticate a single item on request.

Other useful official sources include:

• GOV.UK, which has guidance on reporting counterfeit goods and on your rights when shopping online.
• The Intellectual Property Office, which publishes information on counterfeiting and intellectual property crime.
• Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud as the reporting service for fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, report fraud to Police Scotland. This route is for cases where you have been defrauded, not for every counterfeit listing.
• The National Cyber Security Centre, which provides an online form for reporting suspicious websites. Suspected scam emails can be forwarded to report@phishing.gov.uk. These routes deal with scams and phishing, not with checking whether a product is genuine.
• The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which explains how to report suspected fake medicines, including through its Yellow Card scheme. When buying medicines online, check the seller against the relevant official pharmacy register rather than relying on packaging or website claims.

Rules and time limits change, so check GOV.UK or the relevant advice service for current details. Your rights also differ depending on whether you bought from a trader or a private individual.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Using brands, retailers and platforms

Many larger brands have a page about counterfeits on their official website. These may list authorised stockists, explain how to check a serial number or label, or give an email address for reporting suspected fakes. A successful check is not proof, because counterfeiters can copy genuine serial numbers, QR codes and labels. Some brands also warn about particular websites, but do not assume a seller is authorised simply because the brand has not mentioned it.

If a seller is not on the authorised list and the price seems unusually low, treat that as a warning sign. Absence from the list does not prove an item is fake, since independent and used goods sellers also sell genuine products. A fraudulent site can pose as an authorised retailer, so reach retailers through links on the brand's official website.

Marketplaces and social media platforms have tools for reporting counterfeit listings. Reporting may get a listing removed but will not necessarily get your money back, so open the platform's refund or buyer protection process too. Your payment provider may also help, subject to eligibility and deadlines. Before a listing disappears, save it with the seller's details, your messages, the receipt and photographs of the item.

Stop using any product you suspect is unsafe. If you think a medicine is fake, speak promptly to a pharmacist or prescriber, especially if stopping treatment could be harmful.

Other places to look

Consumer organisations such as Which? publish investigations that can highlight counterfeit products, unsafe goods and problems with particular sellers or platforms. Counterfeit, unsafe and noncompliant goods overlap, but the terms are not interchangeable.

Trade bodies, including the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, publish general advice for shoppers, and some product safety charities warn about dangerous fake chargers and hair straighteners.

Forums and enthusiast communities can help with items such as watches, trainers or collectables, where experienced owners share detailed comparisons. This advice can be knowledgeable, but it is not official and may be inaccurate or out of date.

Checking several reliable sources can reduce the risk, but no checklist can guarantee that an item is genuine.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Authenticity Red Flag Checker lets you identify warning signs that a product is likely counterfeit based on your observations. Try it now →