UK customers have been urged to stay vigilant against one serious scam which can ‘affect anyone’ as banks have warned the public about the amount of fake money in circulation
Nationwide Building Society members and other UK bank customers have been warned to watch out for counterfeit cash. The alert comes after an MP popped into his local branch.
Hinckley and Bosworth MP, Dr Luke Evans, dropped by Nationwide in Earl Shilton in Leicestershire. He wrote a social media post after the visit and said: “Thank you to the team at Nationwide in Earl Shilton for inviting me to the branch. It was great to hear about their commitment to local access and keeping branches open.
“Nevertheless, he flagged up one worrying trend that staff had flagged to his attention. Dr Evans said: “One of the concerns they wanted people to be aware of is the amount of counterfeit notes in circulation.”
The Conservative MP was pressed for further details on the issue. He said: “It’s always concerning to hear of scams operating in your area. While anyone can fall victim to a scam, I’m always acutely aware of the impact on some of the more vulnerable people in our communities.”
Stay vigilant at all times
The MP added: “It’s a reminder to always be alert, especially when interacting with people who are demanding cash, or saying that payment has to be made in a certain way – particularly when buying or selling over social media. At the end of the day, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
Nationwide has committed to maintaining all its UK branches until at least 2030 – going against the grain witnessed across the high street, with countless major banks continuing to close their doors this year.
Dr Evans remarked on the issue of fake currency and said: “This certainly makes a case for face-to-face interactions and dealing with your bank in person.
“During my visit to Nationwide, I was struck to hear the team talk about the personal relationships they have developed with local customers, and how people would travel from neighbouring cities because they have trust in a specific cashier.”
Deposit regulations at Nationwide explained
Nationwide recently outlined the details of its deposit regulations after an enquiry from a customer. The member questioned the provider via social media: “Can I deposit one penny and two penny coins (not mixed) in branch if they are bagged up in bags of one pound? I have £30 in total.”
The savings provider replied: “You can deposit any amount of bagged coin into your account at your local Nationwide branch. You can find your nearest branch here.”
A link to the building society’s website was supplied, where customers can locate their nearest branch. Loose coins can be handed over at any Nationwide branch.
Members also have the choice of depositing full bags of coins in branch. Full bags accepted are:
- £1 or £2 coins to the value of £20
- 50p or 20p coins to the value of £10
- 10p or 5p coins to the value of £5
- 2p or 1p coins to the value of £1.
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