We all love to find a bargain. Of course, there’s nothing wrong in hitting the sales or grabbing a cheap deal from a clearance bin or a retail website.
But where it is definitely wrong is when we know the price is too good to believe and we turn a blind eye to the fact it is likely to be an illicit or counterfeit product.
Fake goods are made in unregulated environments, without regard for health and safety regulations, so it’s impossible to know what’s in them. It’s one thing for your counterfeit designer jacket to shed some stitches but quite another to be put in serious danger through no fault of your own.
Illicit trade also hurts businesses in Scotland very hard. People choosing dodgy bargains at markets, car boot sales or on the internet impacts hugely on retailers and manufacturers – and fewer genuine goods being sold closes businesses and puts people out of work.
This has become increasingly important as illicit trade moves off the streets and online. Fewer people are heading down to a local market to buy goods that have “fallen off the back of a lorry” but are instead heading to websites which are often largely populated by legitimate traders, like eBay, to buy illicit and counterfeit goods.
Part of the problem with this is that it seems to add another degree of separation to an issue which people are often dispassionate about anyway.
It can be easier for people to deny knowledge of wrongdoing without having had any sight of a tangible product on top of a belief any wrongdoing is minor and will only harm the coffers of an international brand.
That’s why it is so important we all collectively need to take a step back to question the true cost of fake goods.
It is up to us all to work to tackle this problem and to change perceptions. We all need to take responsibilities not to buy illicit or counterfeit products to make Scotland a hostile environment for this kind of trade.
And in case anyone thinks this is scaremongering or more a case of denying customers the right to choose a bargain, then please think again.
There’s recent cases of counterfeit dental equipment coming into the UK, including drills that can explode in someone’s mouth; and fake condoms that could cause all sorts of physical harm. Paint stripper and nail varnish remover have been found in mascaras and liquid eyeliners which potentially can cause blindness and some bottles of perfume have in the past been found to contain urine as a substitute for the proper stabilisers used in genuine fragrance.
From exploding fake candles to “do it yourself” tan injections, the extent some us will go to just to save a few pounds is downright dangerous. Would you give a toxic charm bracelet which could cause skin allergies or a fake cuddly toy that could present a choking hazard to a love one? And have a thought for innocent animals being skinned alive for imitation UGG boots?
Our Anti Illicit Trade Summit this week highlights the scale of the challenge faced by our police and Trading Standards – but it also provide a platform to hear how prevention, intelligence and enforcement is being enhanced to crack down on the problem. Coinciding with the event will be a fully interactive live "street market" stocked with fake produce, located on George Square and intended to highlight the often hidden dangers of fake goods to the wider public.
The good news is we are starting to have an impact, thanks to the likes of our ground-breaking Scottish Anti Illicit Trade Group – the first body of its kind to work to bring together public and private sectors with a clear focus and strategic aim of reducing the scale, impact and cost of illicit trade throughout Scotland. It is only by working collectively that a tangible difference will be achieved which is why membership of the Group is diverse and includes representatives from commerce, industry and law enforcement.
Let’s be clear - criminals have no scruples. All they care about is making money and have no concerns about the dangers of selling dangerous products to unwitting consumers.
But if we are to disrupt the activities of the crooks and to protect our businesses, we all need to play our part by stopping the next time we think we’re onto a bargain and saying no.
Chief Inspector Ronnie Megaughin is Deputy Director of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre.
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