Journal of Trading Standards, Online Edition - JoTS Online

Welcome to the Journal of Trading Standards online edition, JoTS Online. Browse through our latest Articles - including Analysis, Opinion Pieces, Features and a selection of articles from our acclaimed print journal.

Although many JoTS Online articles are open access (public), others are exclusive to CTSI Members - in which case, you'll need to login to access them. If you aren't a member of CTSI yet, you can join us here. And, if you'd like to contribute articles or suggest topics for us to cover, please email our Editorial Team.

Latest JoTS Online Articles :

News Category Tags: Crime, Product Safety, Health and Safety, Counterfeit Goods, Retail, Animal Health and Welfare, Legal and Policy, Enforcement Practice, Product Recalls, Property and Housing, Automotive, Vapes, Business, CTSI Conference, CTSI Hero Awards.

Filtered by tag|Crime|Clear Filter

Lancs TS 'wages war' on illicit tobacco

Posted: 15 June 2023

UPDATES: Lancashire Trading Standards has intensified its crackdown on illicit tobacco and underage sales, uncovering concealed stashes, prosecuting offending retailers and reinforcing efforts to protect young people from illegal products.

Family fraudsters jailed

Posted: 16 May 2023

UPDATES: A National Trading Standards investigation has led to lengthy jail sentences for a family who made more than £2 million by tricking consumers into paying for free EHICs through misleading websites and aggressive refund practices.

1 million illicit cigarettes seized

Posted: 28 April 2023

UPDATES: More than one million illicit cigarettes, hundreds of kilograms of illegal tobacco and thousands of unlawful vapes have been seized in Warwickshire, highlighting Trading Standards' sustained action against organised criminal supply.

Puppy scam targets Dogs Trust charity

Posted: 28 April 2023

UPDATES: CTSI and Dogs Trust warn that scammers are exploiting the charity’s reputation by advertising non-existent puppies online, taking upfront payments and sending victims to a rehoming centre address where no animal is waiting.

Staffs TS seizes illicit tobacco & vapes

Posted: 18 April 2023

UPDATES: Operation CeCe raids in Staffordshire removed £24,000 worth of illicit cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco and illegal vapes from shops in Lichfield and Stafford, adding to a year of substantial seizures.

New mobile phone scam warning

Posted: 05 April 2023

UPDATES: Hartlepool Trading Standards is warning mobile users about a scam in which fraudsters arrange handset upgrades in victims’ names, then trick them into forwarding the new phones to bogus return addresses.

Fake vinyl record seller guilty

Posted: 05 April 2023

UPDATES: Dorset Trading Standards has secured a prosecution against an online seller of counterfeit vinyl records, underlining the continuing role of intellectual property enforcement in protecting collectors, consumers and legitimate traders.

Fraudsters targeted vulnerable people

Posted: 04 April 2023

UPDATES: A joint investigation has brought sentencing for fraudsters who targeted elderly and vulnerable victims, exposing the pressure tactics and deception used to extract money from people least able to withstand it.

Isle of Wight rogue trader jailed

Posted: 30 March 2023

UPDATES: An Isle of Wight rogue trader who bullied and deceived victims has been jailed after a lengthy trading standards investigation that pieced together the evidence needed to bring him before the courts.

Illicit vapes 'new battleground'

Posted: 24 March 2023

UPDATES: Lincolnshire Trading Standards says illicit vapes have become a new enforcement battleground, with seizure figures showing how quickly non-compliant products have moved to the centre of local product safety work.

Builder jailed for money laundering

Posted: 03 March 2023

UPDATES: A rogue builder has been jailed for money laundering after a Trading Standards investigation into dangerously substandard building work traced more than £63,000 paid by a homeowner through his bank account.

HotSW TS seizes illicit tobacco

Posted: 24 February 2023

UPDATES: Intelligence that illegal tobacco and vapes were being sold to children prompted a joint raid in Taunton, leading to significant seizures as investigators continued efforts to disrupt the illicit trade.

Suspended sentence for COVID fraudster

Posted: 17 February 2023

UPDATES: Southwark Trading Standards’ prosecution of Bishop Climate Wiseman exposed the sale of £91 bottles of ‘Plague Protection Oil’ falsely promoted as a COVID-19 cure. The case shows how officers balanced community sensitivity, expert evidence and legal preparation to tackle dangerous health claims during the pandemic.

Rogue builder jailed for fraud offences

Posted: 15 February 2023

UPDATES: Southwark Trading Standards’ investigation into rogue builder Richard Nicholls revealed more than £1.1m in losses, unfinished and dangerous work, and victims left financially and emotionally devastated. His three-year prison sentence followed support from the National Trading Standards Tri Regional Investigation Team and detailed financial evidence.

Suffolk TS secures victim compensation

Posted: 15 February 2023

UPDATES: Suffolk Trading Standards has secured £50,000 in compensation for victims of David Waters, whose mobility furniture company took deposits from elderly and disabled consumers but failed to deliver. The payout follows his fraud conviction and underlines the team’s work beyond prosecution to recover money for those harmed.

Illicit tobacco seized in NE Lincs

Posted: 13 February 2023

UPDATES: North East Lincolnshire Trading Standards and Humberside Police have seized illegal cigarettes, tobacco, shisha and disposable vapes from five businesses in Grimsby and Cleethorpes. The Operation CeCe raids removed products worth tens of thousands of pounds and continued a local enforcement drive against illicit tobacco sales.