Officers investigating a series of incidents involving the use of suspected counterfeit notes are issuing CCTV images of a suspect.
There have been at least five reports of fraud relating to the use of or attempted use of counterfeit notes in the Weymouth and Dorchester areas between Friday 1 March and Sunday 14 April 2019. A further incident was reported in Ferndown on Friday 22 March 2019.
On each occasion the offender attempted to pay for low value items with a £50 Bank of England note and they were reported to become aggressive when challenged or questioned by shopkeepers.
Police Constable Ryan Lloyd, of Weymouth police, said: “We are making enquiries into these incidents and I am now in a position to release CCTV images from three of them that we believe involve the same man.
“I appreciate some of the CCTV is not of the best quality but would urge anyone who recognises this man to contact police.”
Counterfeit notes make up only a tiny percentage of notes in circulation but it is not a victimless crime and therefore the public should always check their banknotes.
For Bank of England £50 notes, check the watermark by holding the note up to the light to see an image of the Queen, which is darker than the bright £50. You should also look at the green motion thread on the front of the note which contains ’50’ and ‘£’, which move when the note is tilted.
For more information on how to identify counterfeit Bank of England notes visit www.bankofengland.co.uk.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email [email protected] or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55190056110. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
