Counterfeit banknotes are rare and also worthless.
The Bank of England cannot reimburse you for counterfeit banknotes. If you suspect that you have a counterfeit banknote, please take it to your nearest police station. The police should fill out an NCO-1 form and provide you with a receipt and incident number. The suspect notes will be sent to the National Crime Agency and if counterfeit to the Bank of England for further examination.
If there is insufficient information to pursue an investigation or the circumstances are not suspicious then please return the notes to the Bank of England using one of these forms.
- If notes are being sent directly in the post to the Bank of England by you, then use the Individual form.
- If notes are being sent via a cash centre or a business head office and then to the Bank of England, then use the Business form.
An accessible version of these forms can be requested by emailing counterfeit@bankofengland.co.uk.
If you have information about someone making, selling or using counterfeit banknotes, please contact the police or phone Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Counterfeiting directly funds organised crime. It hurts the UK economy by creating losses for businesses, which ultimately affects the cost of things that we buy. It also affects the pocket of anyone who receives a counterfeit note, as the notes are worthless. If you report counterfeiting to the police, you are helping with investigations and alerting them to a problem in their area. This means they can take action to protect your community.
