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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.
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Rogue builders jailed for fraud
Posted: 11 August 2023
UPDATES: Two rogue builders have been jailed after defrauding a vulnerable homeowner of more than £128,000 through intimidation, unnecessary work and coercion in a case uncovered by Islington Trading Standards.
Butcher fined for illegal tobacco
Posted: 04 August 2023
UPDATES: A butcher has been prosecuted after Trading Standards officers uncovered thousands of illicit cigarettes and tobacco products during an intelligence-led inspection, highlighting the continued crackdown on illegal tobacco sales.
Duo sentenced for huge tobacco haul
Posted: 04 August 2023
UPDATES: Two offenders have been sentenced after officers uncovered hundreds of thousands of illegal cigarettes and large quantities of illicit tobacco, exposing the scale of an operation worth hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost duty.
Closure order for underage vape shop
Posted: 27 July 2023
UPDATES: A Taunton shop has been closed for three months after Trading Standards and police uncovered underage vape sales, drug paraphernalia, illicit tobacco and non-compliant vapes, highlighting growing enforcement concern around products marketed to children and linked anti-social behaviour.
Staffs TS makes bumper tobacco haul
Posted: 20 July 2023
UPDATES: Staffordshire Trading Standards has seized more than £26,000 of illegal tobacco and vapes in raids backed by Operation CeCe, police and detection dogs, adding to a year-long haul of illicit products worth around £325,000.
Cheshire East TS wins national award
Posted: 20 July 2023
UPDATES: Cheshire East Trading Standards has received national recognition from the England Illegal Money Lending Team for its work to raise awareness of loan sharks, support safer communities and help expose unlawful lenders operating locally.
CTSI warning over scam SMS messages
Posted: 14 July 2023
UPDATES: The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has issued a warning to parents and youngsters alike to be on guard against a new spate of scam text messages purporting to be from the recipient’s son or...
AI and the rise of synthetic scams
Posted: 08 July 2023
ANALYSIS: Businesses, government agencies and organisations around the world are all racing to figure out how to make the best use of artificial intelligence (AI). However, just as more applications for AI come to market, at...
Energy fraudster jailed for 13 years
Posted: 05 July 2023
UPDATES: A man who set up sham energy companies to rip off small businesses has been handed a 13-year jail sentence following a complex and lengthy investigation by the National Trading Standards Regional Investigation Team (Nort...
Salford TS seizes £400,000 of vapes
Posted: 04 July 2023
UPDATES: Salford Trading Standards has seized a massive haul of illicit disposable vapes and e-liquids from a local company as part of ongoing efforts to rid the streets of dangerous and illegal products. With the support...
Monmouthshire TS jails cowboy builder
Posted: 26 June 2023
UPDATES: A rogue trader who stole tens of thousands of pounds from vulnerable people has been jailed following an investigation by Monmouthshire County Council Trading Standards. Martin Evans (48), trading under his own name and as...
Bumper illegal tobacco haul
Posted: 15 June 2023
UPDATES: One of the largest illegal tobacco seizures in Bolton's history uncovered raw tobacco destined for illicit manufacture, removing dangerous products from circulation through a coordinated operation involving Trading Standards and police.
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.
