Police issue fake cash warning as three men arrested

Police in Derbyshire have issued a warning over fake cash being used in the county after arresting three men in connection with counterfeit money offences.

On 15 January, Derbyshire Police said two men, 33 and 34, were arrested after a quantity of fake cash was used at a shop in Derby.

A day later, another man, 28, was detained after officers received intelligence of counterfeit cash being sold online.

All three men have been released on bail while investigations continue, the force added.

Det Con Hardip Singh Shergill, from the force's fraud investigation unit, said: "We are seeing counterfeit notes being used across Derbyshire, generally at smaller shops or to pay for sales made via online marketplaces such as Facebook or eBay.

"We're sharing photos of some of the notes used to try and help people spot the issues. The silver foil parts of the note are adhesive labels that are embossed with the words 'prop money'.

"Some of the notes we've seen are missing the braille script and indentations, although some better forgeries do have these.

"We're seeing fake notes of all denominations, and we are urging people to be wary of these notes being used and to follow advice from the Bank of England in how to detect these forgeries to avoid being left out of pocket."

It comes a day after neighbouring Nottinghamshire Police warned the public after a rise in reports of counterfeit money in the town of Newark.

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