Police have this week issued a warning over faked beauty products, as it's been revealed that the UK spends over £90 million pounds per year on counterfeit goods - and it's not just a case of getting the wrong shade of bronzer

According to the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), which launched an awareness campaign warning consumers of the risks of buying fake products, many fraudulent items contain mercury, arsenic and lead. Some items have even been found to have ingredients such as rat droppings in them. All of which can cause skin irritations, such as swellings, rashes and burns.

As part of their ‘Wake up - don’t fake up!’ campaign, the City of London Police unit is highlighting the dangers of buying and using counterfeit goods such as make-up, perfume, electrical hair stylers and sun-cream.

It's estimated that consumers in the UK alone spend at least £90 million every year on fake products, thanks to the popularity online shopping which has increased the production and sale of such items.

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

As consumers are not seeing the products in the flesh, it's becoming much harder to tell if a product is real, with many fraudsters using generic stock images to deceive consumers into believing they are buying an authentic product.

However, in the last 18 months the PIPCU has helped to protect consumers by suspending more than 5,500 websites selling fake luxury branded goods as well as seizing more than £3.5million worth of fake goods.

In the meantime, you can also help to protect yourself by checking the following when you're online and buying products:

CONSUMER ADVICE AND TIPS FOR SALE ONLINE BEAUTY SHOPPING

1. Trust your instincts - if an offer looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Legitimate designer items are rarely discounted, so do not rush and be fooled into believing you are getting a good deal.

2. Check the spelling and grammar on the website and of the URL - often the people behind these sites do not pay a lot of attention or care to this detail. Fraudsters may also try to deceive you by slightly changing the spelling of a well-known brand or shop in the website address.

3. Look to see where the trader is based and whether they provide a postal address - just because the web address has 'uk' do not assume the seller is based in the UK. If there is no address supplied or there is just a PO Box or email, be wary.

4. Only deal with reputable sellers - only use sites you know or ones that have been recommended to you. If you have not bought from the seller before, do your research and check online reviews. People will often turn to forums and blogs to warn others of fake sites. If you are buying an item online you can check to see if the website is a legitimate stockist by visiting www.brand-i.org

5. Ensure the website address begins 'https' at the payment stage - this indicates a secure payment.

6. Keep security software and firewalls up-to-date. Regularly update your internet browser when a new patch-security update is released.

7. Don't access links in unsolicited emails - fraudsters will design these, along with websites, to look genuine to trick victims into entering personal information, when in fact they are fraudulent. Always type in the website address or use a search engine to find a site.

8. Ask the trader if there is a returns policy or guarantee. Most rogue traders will not offer this.

9. If you are not sure whether the items are genuine, do not enter your payment details - it is not worth the risk.

10. Watch out for pop-ups appearing asking you to confirm your card details before you are on the payment stage. Never enter your PIN online.

If you have unfortunately purchased an item you believed to be genuine but now suspect this may not be the case you can report it to Action Fraud online​ or call 0300 123 2040. 

If you suspect someone to be involved in the sale or trade of counterfeit items you can report this to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org. ​