How do I spot fake notes on Facebook Marketplace?

What should I look at on the note?

Use the Bank of England checks, in your own words, on the note in your hand. Current £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes are polymer. King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II notes use the same security features.

Look at the large clear window. You should see a portrait, the value, and “Bank of England” twice around the edge. Tilt the silver hologram under that window. The words should change between the value and “Pounds”. Check the foil colour too: gold on the front of a £5 or £10, gold and blue on a £20, gold and green on a £50, and silver on the back of every note.

Do this in enough light to see the window. If you would not keep the note after that look, do not hand over the item.

The Bank of England says current £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes are polymer, and that King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II notes share the same security features. Its guide describes a large see-through window with a portrait, the value, and the words “Bank of England” twice around the edge. Below that window, a silver hologram should change between the value of the note and the word “Pounds” when you tilt the note. The foil on the front is gold on the £5 and £10, gold and blue on the £20, and gold and green on the £50. The foil on the back of every note is silver. Source

What have police reports in Staffordshire described?

The BBC reported on 7 January 2026 that Staffordshire Police had multiple reports, since Christmas, of Marketplace sellers paid in counterfeit notes. The examples in that report were £1,000 in notes for a phone and £300 for a guitar. The force asked sellers to look for sharp edges, smudges, windows and metallic images.

The Sentinel reported on 30 April 2026 that the same force was seeing around two reports a day. That is one force’s figure, not a UK total. The paper described £520 in fake £20 notes, and £440 in notes with a hologram that looked wrong and bubbles under the silver strip. It also said some meetings were set for car parks and service stations as it got dark, and that people checked the notes after the buyer had gone.

Count and check the notes before the other person leaves. A thick wad in poor light is the moment the reports describe going wrong.

The BBC reported on 7 January 2026 that Staffordshire Police had received multiple reports, since Christmas, of counterfeit notes used to pay Facebook Marketplace sellers. The report includes £1,000 in notes for a phone and £300 in notes for a guitar. The force, as reported by the BBC, asked sellers to look for sharp edges, smudges, see-through windows and metallic images. Source

The Sentinel reported on 30 April 2026 that Staffordshire Police were seeing around two reports a day of Facebook Marketplace sellers being paid in fake notes. The report includes £520 in fake £20 notes for a collection of cards, and £440 in notes on which the hologram looked wrong and there were bubbles under the silver strip. The paper reported that some meetings were arranged at car parks and service stations as it got dark, and that sellers often checked the notes only after the buyer had left. Source

What do I do if the notes are fake?

The Bank of England says counterfeit notes are worthless and that it cannot reimburse you. Contact the police. The Bank says officers should complete an NCO-1 form and give you a receipt and an incident number. Do not try to spend the notes.

Facebook’s safety help says it does not offer refunds for person-to-person transactions. A cash handover is that kind of sale. Keep the messages and, if you still have them, the notes, for the police.

The Bank of England says counterfeit notes are rare and worthless, and that it cannot reimburse you for them. If you suspect a note, it says to contact the police, who should complete an NCO-1 form and give you a receipt and an incident number. Source

Facebook’s Marketplace safety help says local pickup items paid person to person are not covered by Purchase Protection, and that Facebook does not offer refunds for person-to-person transactions. It says to avoid payment links and to log in through the payment service’s own website. It also says not to share financial information, such as a PayPal login or bank details, and to reject an overpayment that the buyer then asks you to send back. Source

How does a SilentSale® order work?

SilentSale® is a UK marketplace for private buyers and sellers of personal goods. The buyer pays in the app. Stripe processes the payment and holds the funds until the order is completed. Buyer and seller each contribute £0.30 + 3% of the item price to SilentCover® (£0.60 each on a £10 item), a discretionary protection service.

For a posted item, tracked Shipping has a 72-hour window to report an issue after delivery. For an in-person sale, use PIN Pickup: the buyer inspects the item, then shares a six-digit PIN, and the seller enters it to finish. There is no cash in that handover, and there is no dispute step after the PIN. That describes this order. It does not cancel a bank transfer you have already sent, and it does not make another website’s email real.

Where should I read next?

Read a fake banking app at the door, selling locally without cash, collection-only items, a courier who says they will bring cash and SilentSale® vs Facebook Marketplace.