Taking forged notes makes you feel stupid. Gullible. You can think of all sorts of excuses for why you didn't check them properly; you were busy, poor lighting. Excuses. But in the cold light of dawn when the bank teller reaches for the conterfeit detector pen you realise you've been had.
This weekend we had an outside bar at the point-to-point races. It was busy (my excuse). Either myself, or one of my staff, took (at least) two fake £20 notes.
We took them, put them with the other notes and on our return home checked and counted them ready for banking. At no point did I spot the forgeries. It was only when I went to deposit the money that the truth emerged.
The cashier pulled out the notes without hesitation. It wasn't something I could contest. But I still struggled to believe they weren't real.
The cashier showed me a good note and a forged note next to each other. She emphasised the differing colours. The fake ones had a slightly mauve tinge. I couldn't see it. The paper felt identical. The strip appeared in place. But when put under a UV light the tell-tale reflective marks didn't reflect.
The counterfeit pen wrote like a black marker pen across the paper. To make matters worse the two notes even had the same serial number, compounding my uselessness. Despite the Bank of England putting great effort into preventing this fraud it seems modern copying methods are a step ahead of them.
The other frustrating thing about the presentation of a forged note is that the law says that if you are presented with such a note you must keep it and not return it to the person who tendered it.
So Frank, a regular and loved customer, buys his daily pint and offers you a £20 note which you realise is forged. You are suposed to take it from Frank, tell him its a forgery and watch him as he realises that, although he's behaved in good faith, he's been cheated and now you are going to take that note from him. It won't be popular.
Obviously none of you would suggest Frank takes back his note, gives you a valid one then tries his luck putting it into the bank or Tescos.
So this now means I've taken three fake £20 notes in a month. Its time to step up our security. I've invested in an array of detector pens and a UV light. I'm going to concentrate on the new £20 note because that appears to be where the forger's effort is concentrated. Fifty pound notes people scrutinise too much and a tenner isn't worth it.
I need to make sure that we are more careful not to take conterfeit notes that are then going to be picked up by the bank clerk. The problem, for me, only arises when I go to pass on the note. If someone else spotted what I should have seen.
I must learn to be more vigilant and maybe avoid those bank clerks who are better spotting them than I.