Rat droppings, urine and arsenic being found in fake beauty products, police say

In the UK it is estimated that at least £90m is spent every year on fake goods

A counterfeit perfume factory producing fake, luxury‑branded perfume (PA)

Rat droppings, human urine and arsenic – these are just some of the substances found in fake beauty products that police say are putting consumers’ lives at risk.

Make-up, perfume, electrical hair stylers and sun cream are among the counterfeit goods being highlighted by the City of London Police in a campaign called: “Wake up – don’t fake up!”

In the UK it is estimated that at least £90m is spent every year on fake goods and with the rise of online shopping the production and sale of fake goods on the web is increasing.

Counterfeit beauty products in particular are becoming increasingly common and easily available on auction sites, online market places, rogue websites and social media.

Checking the authenticity of a product is proving to be a lot harder nowadays as consumers cannot gauge the look and feel of a product as they did before when buying in a shop.

Police said generic stock images are also frequently used to deceive consumers into believing they are buying the real deal.

Fake electrical beauty goods, such as hair curlers, dryers and straighteners, are not subject to the same vigorous safety tests as genuine items, so the bogus products are often very dangerous.

They could cause electrocution or overheat and catch fire, potentially burning hair, skin and scalp as well as putting homes and lives at risk.

Police said laboratory tests have shown counterfeit perfume often contains poisonous chemicals including cyanide and even human urine.

Fake cosmetics such as eyeliner, mascara, lip gloss and foundation have been found to contain toxic levels of chemicals and harmful substances such as arsenic, mercury and lead.

All of these can cause allergic reactions, such as skin irritation, swelling, rashes and burns along with longer-term health problems.

Counterfeit make-up is often produced in unsanitised and unhygienic factories and there have been cases where rats’ droppings and poison have also been found in the phoney cosmetics.

Detective Superintendent Maria Woodall, who oversees the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, said: “Criminals are exploiting every opportunity to fool customers into buying counterfeits in order for them to make some quick cash – putting peoples’ health, homes and lives at risk.

“Beauty products are meant to enhance your features, however, the fakes can, in fact, do quite the opposite. Our general rule is, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is.

“Not only could these products have serious implications to your health and well-being but by simply going online and buying from a rogue site or dealer, your personal and financial information is at risk.

“We have had victims who have bought fake items online only to discover later that the criminals behind the site have used their payment details to make further purchases or even use their personal details to set up hundreds of illegal sites selling counterfeit goods.”

In the last 18 months, the PIPCU has suspended more than 5,500 websites selling fake luxury branded goods as well as seizing more than £3.5m worth of fake goods. The percentage of fake goods seized by customs because of health and safety concerns to consumers has doubled in recent years.