Thousands of pounds worth of fake poppies are being sold by online fraudsters pocketing 100% of donations, it has been revealed.

Badges and brooches were on sale with descriptions reading “Lest We Forget” and “Remembrance Day Red Poppy”.

One of the fake sites says it sells “suitable for Memorial Day activities, soldiers, memorials, veterans… to honor the lives and memories of fallen soldiers.”

However, following an investigation by Daily Expressit has been revealed that scammers are taking all the money donated from counterfeit merchandise on Remembrance Day.

Hundreds of items were listed for sale for between £3 and £5 on sites such as eBay, with one auction labeled ‘on trend’.

One of the fake sites says it sells “suitable for Memorial Day activities, soldiers, memorials, veterans… to honor the lives and memories of fallen soldiers”

Badges and brooches were on sale with descriptions that read “Lest We Forget” and “Red Poppy for Remembrance Day”

Hundreds of items were listed for sale for between £3 and £5 on sites such as eBay, with one auction labeled ‘on trend’

One of the fake sites says it sells “suitable for Memorial Day activities, soldiers, memorials, veterans… to honor the lives and memories of fallen soldiers”

Shadow Secretary of State for Defense James Cartlidge described the scam as “disgusting” and condemned fraudsters for “exploiting” Remembrance Day.

The investigation revealed that Border Force seized £25,500 worth of counterfeit poppies last year.

In 2017, £150,000 worth of fake poppy goods were seized in UK ports, including 1,212 scarves, 5,400 badges and 1,200 key rings.

Former MP and Royal Green Jackets captain Tobias Ellwood called the fake poppy auctions “sick and disturbing”.

He went on to urge eBay to investigate and close any auction profits of the Royal British Legion (RBL) brand.

When approached, a seller shipped to the UK from China, where he could not confirm whether the proceedings had gone to RBL. While other Chinese sellers did not respond to the claims made by the investigation.

The RBL urged anyone wishing to honor fallen soldiers to go to their website to donate or visit the legitimate poppy sellers who will be taking to the streets until November 11.

There is also a legitimate RBL page on eBay called The Royal British Legion eBay Shop.

The RBL urged anyone who wants to honor fallen soldiers to go to their website to donate or visit the legitimate poppy sellers who will be taking to the streets until November 11.

Every purchase through RBL goes to charity, helping members or former members of the Armed Forces Community, including those of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, as well as the British Army.

An eBay spokesman said: “Shoppers who wish to support the Royal British Legion on eBay should do so from its official store to ensure 100% of proceeds go to the charity.

“eBay works with the Royal British Legion as part of our Verified Rights Owner Program (VeRO), which gives intellectual property owners like the Royal British Legion a simple way to report and remove listings that infringe their rights.”

A spokesman for the Intellectual Property Office said: “We can confirm that the Royal British Legion has registered trade marks for variations of the petaled poppy. This means they can choose to take legal action against anyone they believe is infringing these trademarks.

“We publish guidance for businesses and consumers on what to do when they believe any type of counterfeit goods are being offered for sale.

“This includes guidance on e-commerce platforms and how people can report goods they believe may be counterfeit being offered for sale on them.”

MailOnline has contacted the Royal British Legion for comment.

Why do we wear poppies on Remembrance Day?

Poppies are a common sight leading up to Remembrance Day (November 11), which commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany in 1919 that ended the First World War.

During the conflict, poppies were a common sight, especially on the Western Front, the western part of the territory under German control and one of the main theaters of war.

Poppies flourished in the land torn by fighting and bombing and were sent home by soldiers in letters to their loved ones.

Poppies in Flanders Fields, a major theater of combat on the Western Front during the First World War

Artificial poppies were first sold in Britain in 1921 to raise money for the Earl Haig Fund in support of ex-servicemen and the families of those who died.

These were provided by French humanitarian Anna Guérin, who had been making flowers in France to raise money for war orphans.

Selling poppies proved so popular that in 1922 the British Legion founded a factory staffed by disabled ex-servicemen to produce their own – a tradition that continues today.