Counterfeit goods

Real Deal Online: helping social media marketplaces stay fake-free

We are working with social media selling platforms in the Highlands to reduce the sale of counterfeit goods. We are part of the Real Deal Online Project, which helps page administrators maintain a safe and legal community.

Online marketplaces offer great opportunities for local businesses and consumers — but they can also be exploited by illegal traders selling counterfeit goods.

Counterfeits are often:

  • Poor quality and unsafe
  • Linked to organised crime
  • Sold without guarantees or after-sales support

What the project does

The Real Deal Online Project:

  • Helps social media page admins adopt best practice
  • Encourages admins to sign the Real Deal Charter — a public commitment to keep their pages fake-free
  • Promotes collaboration between admins and Trading Standards
  • Supports admins and traders to self-police their pages

How we are involved

We are contacting social media page administrators across the Highlands to:

  • Raise awareness of the project
  • Offer support and guidance
  • Encourage participation during 2023 and 2024

For more information about the project and how to get involved, visit the Real Deal website.

Page last modified: 3 September 2025

Trading Standards

Businesses - contact Trading Standards by email for a range of advice. Consumers - contact Advice Direct Scotland's www.consumeradvice.scot service on 0808 164 6000

Address: 38 Harbour Road
Inverness
IV1 1UF