A group of fraudsters could be flooding Colchester with fake banknotes.

Colchester police are warning shoppers and businesses to examine any money carefully, particularly £20 notes, after at least two incidents where someone had been given fake money.

The Co-op in Coggeshall fell victim to the fraudsters on Tuesday night.

Two people paid for a basket of shopping, which came to just over £20, with two £20 notes. They received more than £19 in change.

It later emerged that both of the notes were fake, and the way in which they were used to gain the maximum amount of change has led police to believe that the people using them knew they were not real.

In a separate incident, a police community support officer was approached on Colchester High Street by a member of the public, who also claimed they had ended up with a fake £20 note.

A Colchester police spokesman said she believed these were not the only incidences in which fake notes had been used, and warned people to be aware.

  • Anyone with any information should call Colchester police on 0300 333 4444.
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