Dodgy dupes exposed

Not long ago, counterfeit products were usually comical-looking knock-offs that no one would fall for. 

But now there’s a new threat in town – the high-end fake. These new counterfeits are shiny, polished and very plausible. At first glance, many are indistinguishable from the real thing. 

But behind those convincing exteriors lie very dark secrets. Our investigation found dangerous components – including dupes with fake fuses, which make them a major fire risk – and we report on links with organised crime. 

Here, we expose these new types of fakes and go beyond what you can see with the naked eye. We examined everything, from their components to their sound quality, at specialist labs. 

We also reveal that, despite this rising tide of counterfeits, many Trading Standards teams are deprioritising work on tackling fakes. We’re calling for the overhaul of an enforcement system that is failing consumers. 

'Dodgy dupes exposed' appears in the October edition of Which? magazine.

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