Police have warned online sellers to be wary of counterfeit cash after a man was given £600 worth of fake notes for a mobile phone.
Officers have advised those selling goods on retail sites such as Gumtree and Facebook to watch out for fake Bank of England notes, especially £20 and £50.
Scammers often use these notes as they are less common in Scotland, meaning errors go unnoticed.
So far, the notes which have been found are not traditional fakes, but instead props used in advertising and TV shows.
Scammers target electronic goods
Cops have also warned those selling electronic goods such as tablets, televisions, laptops and mobile phones online to keep an extra eye out for the phoney tender.
One online seller from Dundee was conned earlier this month, giving his mobile phone away in exchange for what he believed to be £600 of legal cash.
It was not until after the deal was done that the seller noticed that the notes were fake.
Police advise caution
In a Facebook warning, Tayside Police wrote: “The scam usually, but not exclusively, involves the purchase of electronic goods like mobile phones or tablets, and these are arranged over the likes of Gumtree so that a cash transaction will take place.
“The notes are not actually counterfeit notes as we would normally expect to see, but prop notes that are used in the likes of TV shows or promotional material, and have “points” rather than “pounds” on them.
“They are, at first cursory look, almost indistinguishable from the real thing until checked closely.
“We advise that if you are selling an item in this manner, be watchful.
“If you are being paid in cash, do not hand over the goods for sale until you have checked all notes given to you and verified they are the real thing.”
For more information on how to identify fake notes, visit the Bank of England website.
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