Facebook fakes business had £480k turnover

Millions of people in the UK use Facebook Marketplace

Two women who ran a counterfeit goods operation through Facebook with a turnover of almost half a million pounds have been sentenced.

Trading Standards said Helen Brindley-Walker and Lisa McArdle, both from Leicestershire, had traded items through their Get The Look site which, if genuine, would have been worth almost £3.5m.

Instead, complaints at the poor quality of what they were selling led to an investigation and raids on the pair's homes and a storage unit in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

On Monday, Brindley Walker was jailed on her 43rd birthday at Leicester Crown Court for two years and three months, while McArdle, 53, was handed a 15-month jail term, suspended for two years.

Both had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell goods bearing unauthorised trademarks.

Leicestershire Trading Standards said during the 16 months that Brindley-Walker, of Norris Hill in Moira, was running the business, it was estimated to have a turnover of at least £480,000.

Adidas, Apple, Tiffany

Between July 2020 and October 2021, Trading Standards said it had received multiple complaints from customers refused refunds for items advertised on Facebook Marketplace by Brindley-Walker and McArdle, of High Street, Measham.

Officers joined their group and carried out two test purchases buying what was listed as Adidas and Nike trainers, Paco Rabanne aftershave, Tiffany earrings, Apple Air Pods, Adidas hoodie and a YSL perfume and make-up set.

After analysis by the firms, all confirmed they were not genuine and that the pair had no permission to sell their goods.

Raids were carried out and a total of 3,558 counterfeit branded items, listed for a total of £46,500, were seized from the three addresses.

Thousands of items were seized in raids

Trading Standards said Brindley-Walker ran the operation and McArdle worked for her, monitoring Facebook, packing orders and taking them to the Post Office.

Gary Connors, head of regulatory services at Leicestershire County Council, said the sentences "send out a clear message".

"Trading Standards will not hesitate to take action against this sort of unscrupulous and dishonest activity, and those who take part in it can face prison," he said.