The burden of expenditure over the festive season brings with it the temptation to bag a few bargains.

Still suffering the impact of the double-dip recession, consumers are eager to save a few pounds when shopping for Christmas, but Trading Standards officers are warning shoppers to be cautious to avoid ending up with fake goods.

A recent seizure of a haul of counterfeit iPhones, watches and even Viagra tablets at Leeds-Bradford Airport is a sign that Christmas is a popular season for counterfeiters to peddle fake products.

Law-enforcement officers from the Border Agency discovered the goods on a flight from Pakistan.

James Bond DVDs and diluted vodka have also been seized in recent weeks, and last week more than one tonne of fake music CDs were seized at Manchester Airport after police smashed a massive smuggling operation.

But the increase in counterfeit alcohol and cigarettes is perhaps more prolific this year, says Dave Lodge, divisional manager for West Yorkshire Trading Standards.

“Counterfeit alcohol has been around for a long time, but we have found a lot more on sale,” he says.

Mr Lodge says that counterfeit vodka can often contain industrial alcohol. “What we are finding is we are getting traces of all weird and wonderful things, rogue elements, and our analysts have said it is because it is picking up all this pollutant. There can be absolutely anything in there. There is no control over it.”

Mr Lodge says counterfeit vodka has generally been found in some small retailers and also in some nightclubs.

The growth in internet shopping has also widened the opportunity for sales of counterfeit goods, but seeing a designer handbag for a snip of the actual price is often a tell-tale sign that all is not what it seems and, in some cases, appearances are very deceptive.

Mr Lodge says that while markets and car boot sales were once the place where counterfeit goods were found, the internet “has changed the game altogether for counterfeit goods”.

“One of the growth areas is social media sites,” he says, adding that some shoppers are genuinely conned, believing they are buying the real thing, while others know they are buying fakes.

“Those are the people who are the hard-to-reach group because they think, ‘what harm does it do?’ The reality is you’re giving your hard-earned money to people who are probably not paying any income tax or any contribution to the system.”

Consequently, it may also be feeding a wider criminal network and exploiting child labour.

“The other side is that you are supporting a multi-billion pound industry, all that lost revenue. Imagine if it had been put back into our economy? At the moment it would make a big difference,” says Mr Lodge.

His advice to internet shoppers is to check the traders’ details and make sure there is a proper address under the ‘contact us’ page.

Read the terms and conditions and ensure you understand the payment and delivery details. Keep a record of all online transactions including all receipts, order confirmations, correspondence and reference numbers.

Look for a padlock symbol or ‘https’ in the website address whenever you are inputting your personal or payment details.

If the price of a product is more than £100 and below £30,000, consider using a credit card as this will give you additional protection if things go wrong.

Check goods as soon as they arrive as rights to refunds, repairs and replacements may depend on how quickly you act.

“Some counterfeit goods are easier to spot than others but very often the biggest clue is in the price,” says Mr Lodge. “Often the counterfeiters will undercut legitimate retailers in order to tempt customers away from the better-known high-street names.

“Many shoppers now purchase their Christmas gifts online and unfortunately this is by no means a safe way to avoid counterfeit goods.

“If shopping online, consider using the Brand-i website to make sure you use websites authorised to sell branded goods and don’t waste your money on buying fakes.”

For more information, visit brand-i.org/brands.