Central Bank issues warning over fake notes

THE Central Bank said yesterday the shopping splurge was giving conmen an ideal opportunity to slip dud notes past unsuspecting shop assistants.

Bank spokeswoman Elaine Mannix said everybody handling money should be careful of what they are accepting.

“We are not trying to scare anybody or create panic but what we are saying is that if you were a counterfeiter this would be a very good time of year to operate because there is so much cash in the system.

“For shops and customers we would say there are three special security features to check for on every note and if you do that you immediately know if you have a bum note.”

The Central Bank said that by holding notes up to the light and checking for watermarks and holograms people could avoid accepting forged money.

Meanwhile, the Irish Banking Federation launched a campaign against stolen and fake bank drafts.

The country’s banks took out an advert in national newspapers to call on all traders to ensure they know from whom they are accepting these type of payments.

A spokesman said it was easy to get caught off-guard when so many transactions were being done.

The Central Bank and the IBF have told people to report any suspicious payments to gardaí.