How Can I Spot Fake UK Money?
- 1). Obtain real Euro denominations from a bank. Preferably get a 10, 20, and 50 pound denomination. According to Spiegel International, counterfeiters are most likely to fake 20 and 50 pound notes, though 10 is not unheard of. Any lower and the bills won't yield high profits. Any higher and the bills warrant special investigation.
- 2). Hold the bill with your hands and feel the note. Euros are printed with 100% cotton blends, making them feel more like paper-cloth and less like traditional paper. The bills are also embossed slightly, giving letters actual physical texture. The bill is not entirely thin, but has substance to it, unlike flimsy paper.
- 3). Inspect the bill with a black-light. According to Fraud Fighters, only the actual patterns on the bill will glow under the blacklight. The paper is treated so it will not react to the light. Detailed fibers woven in the bill will turn red, blue and green. Inspect the signature on the bill. It will glow green. Fraud Fighters also details that, "The European Union flag on the front of the bill changes color from blue with white stars under ordinary light, to green with orange stars under UV." The backside of the note will host the EU map. Check to see the drawbridge behind it and that the value numerals all glow a solid yellow.
- 4). Tilt the bill in natural light and inspect with a magnifying glass. Euros have watermarks and holograms designed to shift in natural light. Tilting from right to left should reveal two layered holograms that shift, like a 3-D advertisement display.
- 5). Inspect the bill for any strange inking. Counterfeit machines are of dubious quality, meaning the ink will usually have some error or omission. True Euros are of the highest quality and are printed perfection. There will be no missing letters or skewed shapes. The color will be perfectly matched and there won't be bleeding or staining.
