Saturday 23 January 2010

Scam Photography Retail Websites

In the run up to Christmas, the Metropolitan Police removed 1,219 fake websites set up to scam unsuspecting consumers in the hunt for a bargain. Most of these were run from Eastern Europe or Asia by criminal gangs.

Photography is a frequent target for scammers. It is one of the world's most popular, and expensive, hobbies. Retailers do not have much latitude to cut prices, and unlike other consumer electronics, the prices of cameras and accessories have never really declined much. As such, when a new website pops up offering prices significantly cheaper than rivals, it is bound to attract attention. Unfortunately, a lot of these are scam websites, set up to take your cash quickly and then disappear forever. Enforcement against those behind the websites is weak - police forces in the usual countries are often ineffective and lack the capability to find and prosecute the individuals responsible. From the UK, while we remain very effective against criminals based here, the best we can generally do against foreign e-criminals is to shut their websites down. As such, the buyer must assume a significant responsibility for protecting themselves.
  1. Always buy from a reputable seller. These will usually be linked to from popular photography websites, or recommended by other users. Advertisers in the back of popular photography magazines are also going to be a safe bet.
  2. Be aware. If you know that the latest Nikon DXXX camera is retailing for £4000, but this new (untested) website is selling the same model for £2000, then it's likely to be fake or non-existent. No retailer could afford to sell a £4000 camera for £2000 and make a profit.
  3. Pay attention to payment methods. Western Union is a definite no-no. Foreign scammers usually want credit cards, as opposed to debit cards which tend to be tied to a bank in one particular country. However, using a credit card will give you a degree of protection.
  4. Have a look at the terms and conditions. Often, scam websites use standard templates to produce T & C pages, and they will often be nonsensical in the context of a photography website. Copy & paste a paragraph from the T&C's into Google and see how many other websites are using the same template - if they all look suspicious, then the chances are that your one is too.
  5. Keep an eye out for poor spelling and bad grammar. Foreign criminals frequently do not have a satisfactory grasp of English. Reputable sellers generally take some degree of care with their website.
  6. Check out if there are any contact details for the website. Personally, I don't deal with any camera retailer that doesn't have a contact phone number.
Even if you follow all of these tips, you may still end up being scammed - but following them will greatly minimise the risk. Recently, I was involved with investigating a fake retailer using the name of Rolandtrade (not the one that can currently be found on the internet). It was amazing how people from all over Europe had just handed over bank details or transferred cash with Western Union over to this scam website that was blatantly underselling camera equipment without a care in the world. Lots of people have now lost thousands of pounds between them.

The best advice I can give -

If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is.

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Photographer - Not a Terrorist

I am, by virtue of my occupation, expressly forbidden from engaging publicly in politics - so I don't seek to use my blog to forward any personal political agenda. Photography is my concern, and this is what this space is for. However, it is impossible to to ignore the Photography vs s44 Terrorism Act debate that is currently raging.

On January 23rd, there is to be a protest, most likely in Piccadilly Circus or Trafalgar Square. It is organised by Photographer Not a Terrorist. This is a direct result of photographers' anger at recent stop & search tactics under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act.

Since the organisation was founded, there have been considerable policy changes instituted by the new Commissioner, and its use by the Metropolitan Police has been scaled back enormously. I expect the recent ECHR judgment, thought not changing any UK law, will also contribute to it being cut back.

s44 was never intended to be an indiscriminate stop-all power or a return to the days of the 'sus' laws. It *does* remain important, because it allows officers to take action in circumstances where existing powers under s1 PACE or s43 TACT would not give rise to grounds or objects for a search. We know that hostile reconnaissance does go on - I've seen it for myself - but we're limited in what we can release to the general public. On the other hand, I don't believe that it should be used indiscriminately against photographers because of the risk of angering the public. I was arguing for a balance in the use of s44 nearly three years ago. This is now current force policy, I'm pleased to say.

As an aside, it may also be worth pointing out that the incidents pointed out at the top of the Photographer Not a Terrorist web page all occurred within the City of London jurisdiction - not the ground covered by the Metropolitan Police. While we're by no means blameless in the current poor relationship with photographers, I do think we're taking the lead over other forces.

Monday 18 January 2010

Plantation Owner and Field Hands

As I've posted before, I'm quite a fan of American photography - particularly that from the years of the Great Depression. The image below is another one of my favourites, speaking volumes about power, wealth and race relations in pre-war America.

"Plantation Owner and his Field Hands near Clarksdale, Mississipi"
- Dorothea Lange (1936)

The whole image is dominated by the white plantation owner, confidently stood with his hand on his knee, leaning against one of the most potent symbols of American industry - a motorcar. To own such a car was a sure sign of wealth. By contrast, his black field hands are sat, submissively, in raggy clothes waiting for their next orders. Despite the plantation owner being physically the same height (though not width) as the workers, he appears to have a stature of largesse and grandeur. The workers appear thin and malnourished, while the plantation owner is fat and well clothed. He appears like a Roman Emperor - all-conquering and powerful within his own domain.

Saturday 16 January 2010

New Year, New Start

Like so many bloggers, I haven't added any articles for a little while. My real-life job has taken over my hobby for a considerable period, as I've been making the transition from uniformed response officer to detective. Now I'm comfortably settled in CID, I have a bit more time to indulge in my photography.

At the moment I'm searching for a good wedding photographer. I was engaged to my girlfriend, Sally, on December 19th (hooray!), but now the hard work of wedding planning begins. We've decided on a honeymoon location, decided on a church, decided a guest list - but the venue remains elusive.