Traders duped with counterfeit banknotes catch

SHOPKEEPERS in Howden are being invited to a seminar to learn how to spot forged banknotes after several traders found they had been given counterfeits when presenting their takings to a bank.

Police said fake £20, £10 and £5 notes had been passed to small businesses, including a hairdressers and a bakers, suggesting the criminals were deliberately avoiding larger firms where CCTV and more stringent security checks are in place.

The notes all had the same or similar serial numbers and on first glance appeared to have the silver strip running through the paper, but this had been printed on rather than being in the actual note. They have, however, been described as being of a “reasonably high standard”.

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Sgt Jo Matthews, from Howden Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Counterfeiting is the ultimate technology for people who want to get something for nothing. Britain’s notes contain a variety of security features but forgers still try to make the perfect copy.

“It is not difficult to see the watermark, hologram and metal thread inside banknotes.

“Banknotes which are printed for the UK have a wealth of hidden security features. Run your fingernail across the number ten in the top right corner and you’ll feel how bumpy the surface is. The tactile intaglio print deposits the ink in recesses in the paper surface also giving the banknote its crisp, shiny quality.

“Behind Darwin’s head, the pastel blues, greens and oranges are not made up of dots of colour, like most graphics, but instead are made up of tiny lines as a result of the offset printing techniques used. There is also microprint hidden inside the images. A magnifying glass will reveal the word ‘ten’ printed inside the Queen’s pearls.”

The seminar will be held in the Shire Hall in Market Place on Wednesday, March 14, from 10.30am, with a representative from HSBC bank in attendance alongside police.