Counterfeit cash warning as thief dupes staff

2:11pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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CHARITIES in York are being warned to beware of forged money after a man won the trust of one shop's staff - then conned them.

Counterfeit cash was handed to volunteers at the RSPCA shop in Gillygate by a customer who used a fake £10 note to buy notepads after volunteering to return a lost purse to its owner.

His ruse was only noticed after he had pocketed his change and left the charity with a worthless payment - which another customer then ripped up in anger and replaced with a real note.

Now the shop's manager Caroline Byers has condemned con merchants who she fears are seeing good causes as "easy targets" for scams and theft.

"A girl left her purse behind in the shop and a young man heard our staff mention it, grabbed it and said he would catch her up," she said.

"He came back a few minutes later saying he couldn't find her, gave us the purse back, bought some notepads worth about 80p and then left, but it was only when the £10 note he used was then checked again that we realised it was a forgery.

"He'd kept our staff chatting while he paid and gained their confidence by claiming he was trying to return the purse.

"We really want to thank the woman who replaced it as we don't know who she was. It was such a kind-hearted gesture and totally unexpected.

"But we're angry that somebody decided to do this to a charity in such a calculated way. We don't get Government funding, so £10 is a lot of money to us and not just something we can write off. All we can say to the man who gave us this forgery is not to come here again because we don't want that sort of person in here. They should think about how pulling stunts like this harms us."

Caroline says con artists often use charity shops to line their pockets.

She said: "Unfortunately, they seem to see charities as easy pickings - we've had clothes and CDs stolen and people putting things into their bags.

"We've warned other shops and are now checking money we receive more carefully, but it just seems so unfair that people try to fool volunteers who give their own time.

"What they do means charities and their loyal customers lose out."

North Yorkshire Police said they had been informed of the forged note con last Wednesday, but nobody had been arrested as a result.

How to spot fake notes

THE Bank of England has the following advice on how to check banknotes are genuine:* Take your time to check notes, particularly if the light is poor or you are handling a large number of notes. Feel the note and look at it closely, and if you have any doubts, check it against a note you know is genuine.

* Check the paper and raised print in areas such as the words Bank Of England on the front of a note. Genuine notes are printed on special paper which gives them a unique feel.

* Check the metallic thread embedded in every note, which appears as silver dashes on the back of £5, £10 and £20 notes and on the front of £50 notes. A genuine note will have a thread as a continuous dark line, as well as an image of the Queen's portrait, when held up to the light.

* The printed lines and colours on genuine notes are sharp, clear and do not have smudges or blurred edges.

* Notes also have a hologram on the foil patch and, if tilted, the image will change between a brightly-coloured picture of Britannia and the value of the note.

* If a note is put under a good quality ultraviolet light, its value should appear in bright red and green numbers against a dull background.

* You can also use a magnifying glass to look closely at the lettering beneath the Queen's portrait, which should show the note's value in small letters and numerals.

* Counterfeit notes are worthless and it is a criminal offence to pass them on. If you suspect a note is fake, take it to the police as soon as possible. They will give you a receipt and send the note to the Bank Of England for analysis - if it is genuine, you will be reimbursed.