Tooth whitening scammers jailed for £8.5 million tax theft

Two men from Merseyside who sold dangerous tooth whitening products and pocketed the VAT have been sentenced to nine years in prison.

Ian Barnes, 53, and Alastair Ramage, 44, imported and sold tooth whitening products containing a dangerously high level of hydrogen peroxide through companies based in Seychelles and Hong Kong.

Though they charged VAT to their customers, the tax revenue was never handed over to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The stolen money was spent on luxuries such as £16,000 on a limited-edition baseball cap, more than £500 on an ice cream sundae featured in the film Home Alone and over £100,000 with a single holiday company.

The pair also had plans to build neighbouring holiday homes in Florida with connecting tunnels and matching tooth-shaped swimming pools.

WhatsApp messages sent between Barnes and Ramage revealed that they were aware of the harm the products were causing to buyers. In one exchange, Barnes said: ‘They said they used it for 30 minutes and its taken the enamel off their teeth dentist said they need new teeth.’

‘Tax fraud trumps patient safety’

The British Dental Association (BDA) expressed concern that it took tax fraud for the offenders to be jailed, despite the long-standing patient safety risk posed by the whitening products sold.

BDA chair Eddie Crouch said: ‘When it comes to cracking down on criminals, it appears tax fraud trumps patient safety. For far too long we’ve seen illegal tooth whitening companies operating in plain sight online, peddling products that hurt patients. Watchdogs and regulators cannot leave this to HMRC to achieve the right result.’

Zoe Gascoyne, director of HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: ‘Barnes and Ramage knew they were stealing from taxpayers and selling dangerous products at the same time. Their messages show complete disregard for the hard-working majority who pay the taxes that fund our public services.’

The HMRC investigation found that more than £8.5 million was laundered through 118 bank accounts, credit cards and cryptocurrency trading platforms.

Both Barnes and Ramage pleaded guilty to VAT fraud in February 2026. On 30 October, they were jailed for a total of eight years and 10 months at Liverpool Crown Court.

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