ATM money

letsbehonest

Hi.
I did not know where to post this one, my Q, is the money dispensed by the ATM machines (hole in the wall) checked to see if it's genuine and not counterfeit? The reason I ask is that I have been withdrawing large lumps of cash out over a period of about 9 months for this years holiday and it is nearly all £20 notes. This morning on a "Fake Britain" Program they dealt with these fake notes and how good they were, I usually take stirling abroad and change up to get a better rate, I have now bought a U.V. Type note checker so I can check before I go. I do not want to end up in a foreign prison as an innocent tourist because I may have some fake notes in my possession.
regards

battleborn

I very much doubt you would get fake money in ATM machines.

bod1467

battleborn wrote: »

I very much doubt you would get fake money in ATM machines.

I disagree. It is entirely possible, and indeed has happened before, for fake notes to get loaded into ATMs. Albeit this would be very unusual and the chances of the OP having such notes is remote.

A quick Google suggests it is particularly an issue in India.

oldagetraveller

"I very much doubt you would get fake money in ATM machines."
Really?
The woman in "Fake Britain" had one counterfeit £20 note in £2000 worth of 20s she withdrew from her bank. Took the Sterling to change abroad (Abu Dhabi?) but it was detected and she was arrested, convicted and gaoled. Due to intervention she was released from prison.
So surely if it's possible to be given a fake over the bank's counter it's just as feasible from a cash machine?
It was shown that some fake £20 notes are very difficult to detect without UV or other more expensive checkers.

Steve059

Ask the bank to check them?

Travellers' cheques?

bod1467

I understand the OP's position - you tend to get better currency exchange rates for Sterling notes than for TCs.

That said, I tend to use a loadable cashcard (in Euros) when I'm on holiday in countries that use the Euro. Perhaps not the best exchange rate, but massively safer than transporting large amounts of currency.

battleborn

oldagetraveller wrote: »

"I very much doubt you would get fake money in ATM machines."
Really?
The woman in "Fake Britain" had one counterfeit £20 note in £2000 worth of 20s she withdrew from her bank. Took the Sterling to change abroad (Abu Dhabi?) but it was detected and she was arrested, convicted and gaoled. Due to intervention she was released from prison.
So surely if it's possible to be given a fake over the bank's counter it's just as feasible from a cash machine?
It was shown that some fake £20 notes are very difficult to detect without UV or other more expensive checkers.

Did she have proof that a single £20.00 note had come from an ATM machine?

vuvuzela

I had a fake tenner in a withdrawal from an ATM once.
I was on holiday recently and the exchange rate I got by using my credit card was far better than any of the forex branches here or overseas.