Watch your Twenty Pound Notes
- 26 May 2009 20:2122031As you all know we had a great Beer Festival at Crabble Corn Mill at the weekend. However it ended with a sour note today when we found out we have taken £160 in fake twenty pound notes.
It was so busy the notes were not checked and they are so good in the outside night light you would not pick them out easily. These people do not care it is a Charity they have done over so be warned check your Twenties.
To the touch they are smoother, the embossed £20 over the queens head is not there and the small words " promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of twenty pounds" has the first part missing over the silver acorn shapes. The numbers on the back are AD759 12147, BB60 5 07125, BB60 838880.
I know it sounds easy to notice the difference, but at events such as the Beer Festival, Fetes and Boot Fairs were there are a lot of people they will find it easy. There are two events soon in Dover at the Western Heights and the 1940's weekend, so they need to watch out the low life are about.
If any one wants to see one to see how to spot the difference I am happy to show them as I took them to the Dover police station but they did not want them.
Harry - 26 May 2009 20:3822033Lowlife scumbags they want catching. I wonder how many people were passing them, £160 seems a lot for one person to spend.beer the food of the gods
- 26 May 2009 20:4322035Thanks, will pass that on
Been nice knowing you :) - 26 May 2009 20:5922037Also watch out for really tatty notes some people put them through the washing machine so they don't look so obvious as they don't then feel so shiny and the bad hollogram bit's do not look to bad.we have had quite a few through the shop,and your right about the local plod they don't want to know.A dog is just not for christmas save some for boxing day
- 26 May 2009 22:3022041Yes it could be more than one person Guzzler, but I suspect what they do is purchase small items such as a Burger, chips or a soft drink. These cost a small amount so by passing a twenty they get eighteen pounds or so in change.
Scum of the lowest level. Volunters put hours and hours into raising funds for their charity and these low life come along and steal from them. - 27 May 2009 00:2322047Harry,
I'm very sorry to hear that you have been ripped off, there really are some right sods out there. The problem is you are now stuck with them, a bank will just confiscate them. Sadly there is just no way round this.
Given the sheer volume of notes that pass over the desk, it would be impractical to and time consuming to check each and every one. I have a little experience in detecting forged and counterfeit documents, so here are a couple of tips for the future, I'm so sorry it's too late this year:
* Try and ensure the watermark is genuine by holding the note up to the light. This may sound obvious but counterfeit watermarks are often printed in a light greyscale. Genuine watermarks are designs simply embossed into the paper and are created by the variable thickness of the paper. No ink is involved in their creation.
* Watermarks for this reason should never, ever, fluoresce under ultra-violet. This particular device is highly recommended for a hand-held UV scan. It's only £10 inc p&p:
http://www.c-p-p.co.uk/product/asp/ProdID/2080/CtgID/2287/af/page.htm
The lamp also includes a point light source that one can use to back illuminate watermarks to ensure they are genuine.
* The Queen's hair and crown should be composed of intaglio 'ever wet' ink. This means that if you run your fingernail over it it will feel scratchy and will rub off if rubbed against a piece of white paper.
* Remember that cheap quality paper often glows bright under UV, unlike proper notes which should have a very dull reaction, aside from the printed UV safeguards. In other words, the note should not glow, aside from specially printed designs.
* Ensure that the hologram does not scratch off with your fingernail.
* Try a tiny tear along the silver security strip. Counterfeits tear through, genuine ones should not rip at all.
* Print quality should be nice and defned all over. Beware dots in background printing, that belies ink-jet home printing.
* Try and familiarise yourself with an area of a real note using a magnifier such as the following cheap 10x stamp loupe. Beloved of stamp collectors, it's also very useful for detecting forgeries:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=32331
Once familiar with a real note, false notes should be remarkably easy to spot. I'm under no delusions that checking each and every £20 note would be impossible. However, if one has the slightest suspicion or something feels 'odd', one should have no compunction on giving it a ten second once over using the above tools. Ultimately it's better to be safe than sorry even if it holds a punter up briefly.
If you do get the above tools, I'd be more than happy to pop up the mill to give you a demonstration.
Regards! - 27 May 2009 07:0222050Thank you for that Phil, the problem we had was the sheer numbers of notes being passed over all the time on all four of our cash areas at the event.
I can get some small press button ultra violet lights free. However I have to say the hand held lamps you mention look far more practical and I will have a word with the Trust about getting three or four and may well take you up on your kind offer of instrction.
Thanks again.
Harry - 27 May 2009 09:1822060Once again Phil shines
I'm so very sorry, Harry, that you have had this, with the forged notes. You work so hard, all of you, and the Mill is an absolute gem that we are lucky to have. It's a dreadful thought that anyone would go to the festival with the intention of stealing from you.
I hope nothing like this ever happens again, and I sincerely hope that if there is any such future attempt, then the police will decide they should be interested.The Dover War Memorial Project
www.doverwarmemorialproject.org.uk - 27 May 2009 13:5722073People who pass these dud notes on purpose want stringing up. Bring back public flogging!!
The Mill has had one or two before but probably passed on by accident. Easily done if there are a lot of them in circulation. I would certainly recommend to the Trust to invest in a couple of those UV lamps suggested by Phil.Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!! - 27 May 2009 17:2122074It is quite possible that some of these £20 notes were handed over in pure innocence. If they are good quality reproductions it is quite possible that the holder was deceived before handing then over.
If anyone is willing to lend me or give me a useless counterfeit note, I'd quite like to give one a full examination for comparison purposes as I have access to specialised examination equipment. I might then be better placed to provide some advice on detection features using the hand-held equipment I recommended earlier. If so, please drop me a line on:
phil.precambrian@btopenworld.com - 27 May 2009 18:2222080It is hugely annoying when it is one single note but it must be quite devastating when it's a charity event that gets lumped with £160 worth. It's awful, and I am very sorry to hear this happen to the Mill.
- 27 May 2009 18:3422082Phil, I think the odd one may be an error but when you get eight £20 notes it smells of being done with intent.
Yes I am more than happy to let you have one for examination and for advice. I will e-mail you and ask how I can get the note to you.
At the moment I am think of the large counter altra violet lamp for the Tea room and some smaller ones for events.
Thanks Harry - 28 May 2009 17:0122112Harry wrote: "At the moment I am think of the large counter altra violet lamp for the Tea room and some smaller ones for events."
I was going to suggest a fixed one for the Tea Room. Many places use them and just having one might prove a deterent in itself.Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!! - 29 May 2009 10:5922168Here are some good tips for identifying counterfeit notes:
http://www.check-a-note.com/Check-a-note/news.htm
Also, this looks like a very useful product, though having never seen one I can't vouch for it. Popped under the till, it leaves a mark on the fake notes once swiped through. I couldn't see a price on the site, but it might be worth a quick email:
http://www.check-a-note.com/Check-a-note/productinfo.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"> http://www.check-a-note.com/Check-a-note/productinfo.htm