Police Warn Valentine’s Day Shoppers After Fake Perfumes Found Containing Urine
Please don’t buy the love of your life fake designer make-up or dodgy perfume on Valentine’s Day because it could contain a lot of bad things.
Police have issued the advice after more than 500 suspected counterfeit items estimated to be worth over £40,000 were seized in a raid on a fake perfume factory in London last month.
Fake cosmetics have previously been shown to contain toxic cyanide, arsenic, urine and rat droppings.
Trust us when we say your partner will not appreciate finding out they could have sprayed themselves with pee.
They could also suffer other ill effects from the fake items, including skin irritation, swelling, rashes and burns.
Detective Chief Inspector Teresa Russell, from the City of London’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), said: ‘Valentine’s Day is a counterfeiter’s dream.
‘With jewellery and perfume being popular gift choices, it’s easy to fall into the trap of a cheap offer.
‘Fake make-up and perfume can contain harmful chemicals and even rat droppings that cause swelling, rashes and burns.
‘Purchasing counterfeit goods online often results in your personal details being used to set up new fraudulent websites.
‘Treat your Valentine to something legitimate from a reputable seller. Avoid heartbreak, don’t buy fake.’
The PIPCU warned people buying false products they could become victims of fraud if they gave personal details when purchasing items.
They said criminals often used personal details to commit fraud such as registering counterfeit websites.
PIPCU detectives have overseen the disruption of more than 67,000 counterfeit websites since the unit’s inception in 2013.
Police refused to reveal the exact location of the raid for operational reasons.
