Tis the season of giving and receiving, but some fraudsters are taking advantage and forging the new plastic fivers, leaving sellers out of pocket.
They’re supposed to be ‘unforgeable’…which is treated as a challenge to some criminals who are using them to pay for goods on Gumtree and Facebook.
Crimestoppers have seen an increase in fake fivers doing the rounds, and are raising awareness of what signs to look out for on a genuine note.
So look out for these key features to ensure you’re not raking in a fake…
- The image of the Queen looking at the Elizabeth tower should be gold from the front and silver from the back.
- When you tilt the fiver, the word ‘Five’ should change to ‘Pounds’ with a multi-coloured rainbow effect.
- According to the Bank of England, the lines and edges should be ‘sharp, clear and free from smudges or blurred edges’.
- On the back, there is a shiny emerald green foil patch which should read ‘Blenheim’ if you look closely.
- The value of the note should also be written on the Queen’s portrait in really tiny writing.
It’s pretty crazy that the new fiver can be rubbed out by a pencil eraser…
No matter how detailed they make it, someone always manages to forge them.
Soon they’ll contain a super-unhackable unique chip.
