The police and other law enforcement agencies are vitally important in the fight against counterfeiting.
The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) have national oversight responsibility for counterfeiting in the UK. They rely on the expertise and assistance of regional police forces in the ongoing fight against counterfeiters.
Most counterfeit banknotes are produced by organised crime groups to be passed once only. The police need to be able to identify genuine notes from counterfeit so they can help all cash users (particularly retailers, businesses and the general public) in instances where counterfeit notes are passed or discovered.
To assist the police the Bank provides free of charge a range of educational materials including leaflets and posters, a film and a training CD. This information can be found on our educational materials page.
The Bank also offers free training at a regional police force level on a train the trainer basis. If your force would like help, training or advice please contact us here.
The Bank assists with crown prosecution cases by providing written expert witness statements and attending court when required to do so. Our experts cover counterfeit Bank of England banknotes and counterfeit Euro banknotes. Requests for witness statements for counterfeit notes should be made via the SOCA Switchboard on 0370 496 7622.
By cross referencing serial numbers the Bank can also assist the police by identifying issue dates of genuine Bank of England banknotes. If your force requires statements or information about this please contact us here.