PEOPLE have been warned against the dangers of using fake electrical goods – after seizures in Nottingham rocketed.
Latest figures reveal trading standards officials in the city confiscated 167 counterfeit electrical items in 2012.
This compares with none at all in the previous two years.
Mobile phones, laptops, cameras and even coffee makers are among the loot officials seized last year.
Because the goods are not regulated, experts say there is a danger of them blowing up when used.
Jane Bailey, head of Community Protection's trading standards department in Nottingham, said: "There has been a shift in what is fashionable.
"Back in 2008, we were seizing a lot of clothes; now, electrical goods seem to be on the rise.
"The way these goods are being sold has also changed. A lot of the electrical items can be sent in the post.
"Whereas car boots and shops were where fake goods would often be seized in the past, we're now seeing more and more sold over the internet on sites such as Facebook and eBay, which is harder to monitor.
"At the end of the day, these goods are not regulated and could easily overheat – or even blow up or spark – if used."
In 2009, the only electrical item seized by trading standards in Nottingham was an iPod USB adapter, and in 2008 the team seized one pair of hair-straighteners.
Ms Bailey said: "I think also we are reaping the benefits of working so closely with the police as part of the community protection service; we can share intelligence systems.
"And we're not just confiscating the counterfeit items but also the personal property of the criminals selling the goods, to find out more about how they work."
Councillor Alex Norris, city council portfolio holder for community safety, said: "This just shows how much of a difference the police and council working together is making. They are talking more, sharing intelligence, and it's making a difference.
"Not only is it doing right by the traders who do play by the rules, but also these goods are dangerous – the people selling them only care about money."
Outside the city boundary, Notts County Council's trading standards team seized just eight fake electrical items in 2012, nine in 2011 and one in 2010.
County council trading standards officer John Maher said: "Pharmaceuticals are the top most-counterfeited industry, and electrics is the second.
"Reputable companies spend millions on making sure their products are safe for use.
Counterfeiters only care about what it looks like and not the damage it could cause for the person."
A spokesman for eBay said: "eBay does not allow the sale of counterfeit goods and we have an established programme in place, working in partnership with brands, to make sure we have the right information to remove items from sale that cause concern."
Anyone caught selling counterfeit products risks a maximum ten-year prison sentence.
