By Isle of Wight Observer
Residents, businesses, and community groups are being urged to exercise extreme caution after a local community event was targeted by fraudsters using counterfeit currency.
Organisers of Sandown family events took to social media to express their ‘complete shock’ after £80 in fraudulent £20 notes was seized by a local Post Office. The funds had been raised during the free Sandown Funday on Saturday. The organisers described a distressing experience, stating the person attending the bank was “treated like a criminal” while trying to deposit the donations. They believe the busy event was viewed as an ‘easy way’ for criminals to swap fake notes for genuine change.
Cllr Ian Ward described the situation as ‘despicable,’ both in terms of the theft from the community and the abrupt treatment the volunteers received.
To protect themselves, Islanders are advised to use the ‘feel and tilt’ method. Genuine polymer £20 notes have a distinct raised print on the words “Bank of England” and a series of tactile “Braille” dots in the top left corner. These dots — three clusters of four — are difficult for counterfeiters to replicate; on fakes, they are often flat, missing, or sharp to the touch. Additionally, when tilting a genuine note, the hologram at the bottom of the see-through window should alternate between the words “Twenty” and “Pounds”.
It is a criminal offence carrying a maximum 10-year prison sentence, to knowingly pass on a counterfeit note. If you suspect a note is fake, do not attempt to spend it. Instead, take it to the nearest police station, where an NCO-1 form will be issued and the note sent off for forensic analysis by the National Crime Agency.