Pirate DVDs: A man who made thousands of pounds from pirate DVDs of films and TV shows has been given a suspended prison sentence following a case brought by Suffolk County Council’s Trading Standards team. John Williams received a 16-month term, suspended for two years, plus a fine of £7,500 after pleading guilty to two offences related to the sale, supply and manufacture of counterfeit DVDs. Williams, 72, of Pot Kiln Road, Great Cornard, Suffolk, was also ordered by Ipswich Crown Court to pay a Proceeds of Crime Order of £77,182, as the criminal benefit he made from the sales of counterfeit discs, plus pay prosecution costs of £42,870. Suffolk Trading Standards began investigating after receiving a report of fake cult and classic DVDs being sold online. Test purchases were carried out and the discs analysed, which confirmed them to be counterfeit. Titles examined included Wonder Woman 1984, Shazam, X Men Apocalypse and TV programmes The Strange World of Gurney Slade and Dial 999. More than 40,000 copied DVDs were seized from his home in October 2021 along with computers, disc burners, a colour photocopier with print outs of DVD box paper insert sleeves, and address label stickers. Analysis of the seized computers found Williams had sold fake DVDs when attending film and TV fairs, mainly in London, making up to £1,500 per fair, and that he had a wide network of customers in the UK and abroad. Williams pleaded guilty to one offence under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998 and one under the Trademark Act 1994. Graham Crisp, Head of Suffolk Trading Standards, said the original complainant, a UK company called Network Distributing Ltd of London, would purchase copyright licencing rights and restore and remaster the content of classic TV and films for DVD. However, the company ceased trading in June last year with the loss of nearly 30 jobs. Mr Crisp said: “Williams, and those that supply counterfeit discs, contributed to Networks’ demise and have now actually limited the amount of cult TV and film available to purchase because these titles now remain in the archives and may never become available to the public. We found correspondence from Williams where he said that trading standards were only concerned with large-scale counterfeiters connected to organised crime and did not have the resources or time to come after people like him – he was wrong. When we find evidence of criminal activity we will always act.” Councillor Andrew Reid, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health, Public Protection, & Communities, said: “There is no such thing as a victimless crime and the greedy and selfish activities of this man contributed to the end of a company legitimately making cult films and TV shows available to the public. I applaud Suffolk Trading Standards for its hard work in bringing this totally unacceptable operation to a close.” Anyone wanting to report the sale of illegal goods should contact Trading Standards via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Beware of scam delivery text messages! This text message includes a link to a scam website which asks for payment. Royal Mail and Post Office are two different companies and Royal Mail is responsible for delivering mail. Therefore, Post Office will never advise that it cannot deliver an item. However busy you are or how much online shopping you do, keep a record of everything you buy and, if it’s specified, which parcel delivery firm the retailer is using. Report suspicious text messages by forwarding them to 7726 (it's free of charge).
Doorstep Traders: We received reports of traders visiting homes in Brandon on Wednesday, offering to carry out work on driveways. Our advice is to never deal with traders on your doorstep. Do your research before agreeing to have any work carried out. Don't be fooled by sign printed vans, glossy leaflets and a website. While it might be tempting to agree to low prices being offered on the doorstep, think twice. Our advice is:
never agree to have any work done as a result of a cold call, and don't be pressurised into having the job done immediately
if you think work needs doing to your home, get quotes from 2 or 3 traders. Ask friends and family for recommendations of traders who have carried out work for them. Although the scheme is in the early stages of launch, you can also check Suffolk Trusted Trader for traders that have been vetted by us: https://trustedtrader.team/Suffolk/
ask for the full name and address from a trader before considering dealing with them, and never rely solely on a mobile phone number
ask for a written quotation detailing all the proposed work and a final price for the job BEFORE the work is started
only pay once the work is completed to your satisfaction, don't pay up front for materials, don't pay cash
If you have any information, or if you have been approached by doorstep callers, please contact us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Impersonating NCA Officer: Since the beginning of December 2023, Action Fraud and the Suspicious Email Reporting System (SERS) have received over 180 reports concerning the impersonation of National Crime Agency (NCA) agents. The victims describe receiving an email purporting to be from the NCA. The email states that the NCA has evidence that the recipient has accessed and viewed “child pornography” or other “illegal pornographic content”. The emails demand that the recipient make contact within a specified deadline. If they do not, the email claims that a warrant will be issued for their arrest and that the recipient’s details will be added to the sex offenders register, quoting legislation in an effort to make the threat sound legitimate. It is assessed that the intention of the email is to prompt the victim into initiating communication with the suspects so that personal information can be disclosed to be used for blackmail or to commit fraud. Unlike other emails which impersonate law enforcement, there is no up-front demand for money however, where victims have engaged with the suspects, they have demanded money at a later stage. The use of such threatening language creates a significant and emotional impact upon the recipient. The time pressure that is applied encourages victims to panic and act without thinking, unknowingly exposing themselves to compromise and blackmail.
What you need to do
The NCA will not send unsolicited correspondence requesting money or bank details. If you have doubts about the authenticity of a message received from the NCA, please call 0370 496 7622.
Remember, your bank (or any other official source) will not ask you to supply personal information over email.
If you think an email is suspicious, you can report it by forwarding the email to: report@phishing.gov.uk.
Bluetongue virus: do you know the signs? Following cases in Norfolk and Kent, if you keep livestock you should be alert to the signs. Bluetongue virus can affect sheep, cattle, other ruminants such as deer and goats, and camelids such as llamas. Sheep are more likely to show obvious clinical signs of the virus than cattle. The signs to look out for can vary between species. Learn more about the signs here: www.gov.uk/guidance/bluetongue If you suspect bluetongue virus in your animals please report it to Animal and Plant Health Agency immediately: www.gov.uk/guidance/contact-apha#animal-disease
Recall: Lidl GB is recalling their Playtive Wooden Learning Puzzle Blocks as the yellow plastic cap may come loose, releasing small parts which are a potential choking hazard for babies and small children.
Playtive Wooden Learning Puzzle / Blocks (IAN 422695_2210 and Model Number HG10159)
If you have bought the product we advise you not to use it. Customers are asked to return this product to the nearest store where a full refund will be given.