Rogue traders and counterfeit goods

How to report fake goods

Report fake goods

To report fake (counterfeit) goods, please email or call us.

Emailtrading.standards@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 300 8136

What are fake goods?

Fake (counterfeit) goods are deliberately produced to resemble well-known brands, but are usually poor quality, badly made and sometimes dangerous.

By buying counterfeit goods, you are unwittingly putting money into organised crimes - such as people smuggling, drugs, guns, child pornography and even terrorism.

We work with the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) and have set up a dedicated financial investigation unit. Financial investigators work alongside our Trading Standards officers to recover money and other assets gained from the profits of selling counterfeit goods.

What you can do:

  • don't buy counterfeit goods
  • be wary of bargains and remember if something seems too good to be true, it probably is
  • poor quality labels, spelling mistakes and inferior packaging can often indicate that the items inside are not genuine
  • report any suspect sellers to our Trading Standards team
  • for practical advice and information, visit GOV.UK (link opens in new window)