One in four Sheffield residents fall victim to buying counterfeit goods online, says survey
Research by Electrical Safety First highlighted how e-commerce websites are being misused by ruthless sellers as a platform to exploit online shoppers, exposing them to thousands of counterfeit, substandard and suspected recalled electrical goods.
Phil Buckle, chief executive of Electrical Safety First, said: "We were appalled to discover how easy it is to buy dangerous electrical goods online.
"Our investigation uncovered appliances that were visibly substandard, counterfeit or even subject to a recall, with model numbers matching items on our product recall list.