How can you tell if a bank note is fake? Signs to watch out for and what to do with a fake note

Counterfeit bank notes are thankfully very rare but it is always advisable to keep your eyes peeled for them.

If you end up with a fake note it will be totally useless and could leave you out of pocket. It is ilegal to produce counterfeit currency in the UK.

For those who make fake bank notes, they could face up to ten years imprisonment for tendering counterfeit money. But how can you tell if you’ve received fake money.

The Bank of England has a handy guide for the signs to watch for with bank notes. It includes how they feel, the watermark and other clues.

Here is all you need to know:

How to tell if a bank note is fake?

There are a number of ways to tell if a note is a forgery, but you might not be aware of them. So here is what you need to watch for!

Touch

Modern bank notes have a different feel to the older form of currency. The new £5, £10 and £20 notes feel almost cloth-like when you run them through your fingers.

However a forged note will likely feel like paper when you touch it and you should be able to feel the raised print on areas such as the words the Bank of England. Make sure that you check the feel of a note when you get cash out of a machine or recieve change in a store.

Serial number

This will be a bit trickier to spot at home, but a fake note will not have a genuine serial number. If you get two notes in change or from a machine, if they have the samel serial number it means one of them is fake.

Watermark

On a genuine bank note, the watermark shouldn’t be visible until you hold it up to the light.

Printing

NatWest group advises: “raised print is used in some of the features on genuine banknotes and should feel slightly rough to the touch. Lines and print should be sharp and well defined with no blurred edges. Colours should be clear and distinct – not hazy.”

UV Light

For people who work in retail or have a business, a UV light can be used to detect if a bank note is counterfeit. Genuine notes will appear dull under the light.

What should you do with a fake bank note?

If you have discovered that you potentially are in possession of a counterfeit bank note you should take it to your nearest police station as soon as possible. You cannot be reimbursed if you have come into possession of a fake note.

The Bank of England advise: “If you suspect that you have a counterfeit banknote, please take it to your nearest police station. The police should fill out an NCO-1 form and provide you with a receipt and incident number. The suspect notes will be sent to the National Crime Agency and if counterfeit to the Bank of England for further examination.

“If there is insufficient information to pursue an investigation or the circumstances are not suspicious then please return the notes to the Bank of England using one of these forms.”