As if the retail trade isn’t having a tough enough start to the new year, many retailers are now being urged to be extremely vigilant when it comes to checking for counterfeit money. Organised criminals have upped their game in reproducing fake notes and despite the Bank of England’s efforts to make our notes hard to reproduce, there are an estimated 290,000 counterfeit notes circulating in the UK – a total value of £5.8 million.

Retailers are obviously worried, as their main concern is making a sale and getting the money in the till without creating queues at the checkout and risking despairing shoppers going elsewhere. However, there are solutions available which can help retailers spot counterfeit money and quickly move trade through the checkouts.

The Counterfeit Detection Pen, which has been issued to Banks & Government Departments, is an ideal way to spot fake £20 notes. Simply by making a small line across the face of the note using the Counterfeit Detection Pen will highlight if the note is genuine or not. If the line comes up yellow or clear the currency is genuine, if the line appears grey or brown the currency is then suspect.

Ultra-Violet lamps are another way to detect if paper currency is fraudulent or not. By passing the note under the ultraviolet bulb certain features should be highlighted such as glowing colours and random speckles of red and green scattered throughout the paper with the new £20 notes. Crime Prevention Products stock a number of Ultraviolet detection lamps including the Handheld Ultraviolet Lamp, ideal for quickly checking bank notes.

What To Do With A Counterfeit Note

If you come across a counterfeit note during a transaction then refuse to accept it. If you discover the note after the transaction has been made then contact your local Police station. It is an offence to pass on the banknote!