Guides to counterfeit money and cash
Clear answers to the questions shops, hospitality businesses and cash handlers ask us every week: how to recognise a fake note, what to do with it, what the law says and which equipment suits each business.
Technical service
How to update the D7X banknote detector
Updating a D7X means downloading the file published on the updates page at detectalia.com and loading it onto the detector, either from a computer with the update cable or via a microSD card. The file is free, the process takes a few minutes and it needs no technical training. Here are the steps, the timings and what to do when it does not work first time.
Reviewed on 3 September 2026
Official data
Counterfeit banknotes in circulation: the figures
How many fake notes are really out there? The official figures point to a risk that is low in proportion — but rising in the UK, and heavily concentrated in the denomination that passes through tills most: the £20.
Reviewed on 1 September 2026
Buying guide
How to choose the best counterfeit money detector
There is no universal «best detector»: there is the right one for your cash volume, the way you take payments and your counter space. These are the criteria that separate good equipment from a future problem — and our recommendation for each case.
Reviewed on 1 September 2026
Technology
How a counterfeit money detector works
An automatic detector does not «look» at the note the way a person does: it subjects it to several simultaneous physical analyses that no counterfeit can pass all at once. These are the checks, and what each one contributes.
Reviewed on 1 September 2026
Counter myths
Do counterfeit detector pens work?
The detector pen is the cheapest and most widespread checking method — and in the UK it is close to useless. Understanding how the pen works explains why it tells you nothing at all about polymer banknotes, catches only the worst paper fakes, and lets through precisely the dangerous ones.
Reviewed on 1 September 2026
What the law says
Is it illegal to pay with fake money?
The short answer: it depends on whether you knew the note was fake. The Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 punishes making, passing and tendering counterfeit currency — but it protects anyone who received a note in good faith and then does the right thing.
Reviewed on 1 September 2026
The official process
What to do if you are given a fake banknote
You have been passed a suspect note — at the till, in change, or even from a cash machine. What you do next matters: knowingly putting it back into circulation is a criminal offence, and the correct process is simple and free.
Reviewed on 1 September 2026
Recognising counterfeits
How to spot a fake banknote
In the UK, the £20 is the most counterfeited note, and any business near tourism or currency exchange handles euros too — where the €20 and €50 account for around 80 % of forgeries. The good news: every genuine note carries security features you can check in seconds by feeling, looking and tilting.
Reviewed on 1 September 2026