Police in Bradford are warning people to be vigilant after reports of forged Scottish banknotes being used to pay for items bought online.
Officers are investigating two separate crimes reported this month in Bradford where counterfeit £20 notes have been used to pay in cash for items sold via website Gumtree.
PC Toni Hinnells, of Bradford District CID, said: “The use of counterfeit currency is rare but following these incidents, we would urge both people selling online and businesses more generally to be cautious as there are clearly a number of forged notes in circulation.
“Fraudsters will be aware that while Scottish banknotes are legal tender throughout the UK, people living outside of Scotland will be less familiar with these banknotes than those issued by the Bank of England so may not know what a genuine note should look like.
“Our advice for anyone being given Scottish banknotes as payment is to take the time to properly examine the cash they are being given. Someone using legitimate banknotes should not have any problem with you checking the notes over. If you have any concerns at all then don’t accept the payment and report it to the police.”