Warning over fake Poppy Appeal merchandise

A warning has been issued for members of the public to be aware and report fake Poppy Appeal merchandise.

With the Royal British Legion’s (RBL) annual Poppy Appeal underway many residents will be thinking of supporting the campaign by buying and wearing a poppy.

However the public is being warned of counterfeit goods being sold, particularly online.

The Royal British Legion’s (RBL) online Poppy Shop and their corporate partners are reliable sources for anyone looking to to support this year’s appeal.

The RBL have registered their rights for the poppy goods to prevent such counterfeiting.

You should look out for counterfeit goods that are in the shape of or bearing the image of the RBL’s two petal red poppy .

To help identify scammers the following tips have been issued to avoid buying fake poppy merchandise online:

– Be a ‘responsible buyer’ – buy from official channels and The Royal British Legion’s corporate partners. You can check them out here

– Avoid cheaper priced products. If the price is too good to be true, it usually is

– The Royal British Legion works with a number of corporate partners. Only corporate partners are authorised by the Royal British Legion to sell poppy merchandise

– If in doubt, buy through The Royal British Legion or The Royal British Legion official eBay or Amazon pages – you will then be sure of the authenticity

Cllr David Griffiths, Armed Forces Champion, said: “It’s a very sad fact that people will try to make money out of other people’s good causes.

“The annual Poppy Appeal is no exception and I hope every penny that people donate to the armed forces, their families and veterans by buying a poppy finds its way into the hands of the Royal British Legion and not a fraudster.”

If you think you’ve spotted fake poppy merchandise call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or report it online here if you spot anyone selling what you believe to be fake poppy products.