Fake Banknotes and Facebook Marketplace #FraudFree2026

Good afternoon,

We have received a number of reports from residents across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight who have advertised items for sale on an online marketplace e.g.: Facebook Marketplace, and the person who has come to collect and pay for the item has paid with counterfeit banknotes – sometimes just one or two fake notes amongst a bundle of genuine banknotes. 

Please do check all your banknotes carefully before accepting them as payment as the Bank of England advises they do not reimburse for counterfeit currency.  For more advice about how to check your bank notes please see the attached Bank of England useful guide, “How to check your banknotes” also available here: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/-/media/boe/files/banknotes/take-a-closer-look.pdf  

This advice applies to all online marketplaces, or any situations where cash is involved eg: car boot sales, tabletop sales, summer fetes, buying and selling cars etc.

If you receive a fake banknote, the advice is to contact police who will seize it: 

Please do share this important warning with friends and family and encourage them to sign up for their own Hampshire Alert: https://www.hampshirealert.co.uk/ 

Hampshire Alerts is not a crime reporting portal – please do not report crime here.

If you realise you’ve been scammed and wish to report a fraud that has already happened, please report it to Report Fraud either by phone 0300 123 2040 or online at:  https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/

However, if a fraud or other crime is in progress, and/or you are in fear for yourself or someone else, and/or there is evidence in situ that could be damaged/destroyed, please phone 999 immediately. 

Otherwise, report non-fraud crime online, or find out about other ways to report a crime at: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

If you would like to report a crime anonymously please contact: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ or phone 0800 555 111

If you've been affected by a crime please contact Victim Care Hub for free, confidential, support:  https://www.hampshireiowvictimcare.co.uk/  or phone 0808 178 1641

If you’ve received a phishing email please report it to your email provider and/or forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk 

If you’ve received unwanted phone calls or texts from people you think are trying to scam you, but you haven’t engaged with them, please forward the text/phone number to 7726 or your phone provider.

Thank you – Fraud Safeguarding Team