Alert: Fake Scottish £50 Notes Circulating in Newquay – Spot Them Now

Businesses and residents in Newquay have been warned to be vigilant after reports of counterfeit Scottish £50 notes being circulated around town.

Newquay BID (Business Improvement District) has issued advice on how to identify fake notes to help businesses protect themselves.

How to Identify Counterfeit £50 Notes

Newquay BID has provided a detailed guide to the key features of genuine polymer Scottish £50 notes, which include:

1. Clear Window: The banknotes have a clear window you can see through.
2. Rotate: On the right edge of the window, a “50” appears in a red thistle on the front, and the Bank of Scotland logo on the back.
3. Holographic Foil: The images on the note change and move as you tilt the note.
4. Spark®: This area of shiny metallic ink changes colour as you move the note around.
5. Tactile Emboss: The notes have four arrangements of four dots in a square, allowing physical identification for the visually impaired.
6. Raised Print: The notes have a distinctive raised print, giving them a tactile quality.
7. Microtext: When viewed closely with a magnifying glass, areas that appear plain are actually very small print.
8. UV Printing: Under UV light, areas that appear as a single colour in daylight glow in two separate colours.

Stay Alert

Newquay BID encourages all businesses and individuals to be cautious when accepting £50 Scottish notes. Using UV light scanners and closely examining the security features can help prevent falling victim to these counterfeit notes.