Teen Warns Others After Losing Nearly £4,000 to Fake Banknote Scam

A 17-year-old entrepreneur from Gloucester, Gergely Tárkány-Szűcs, fell victim to a cunning scam that left him out of pocket by nearly £4,000. After purchasing a brand-new DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise drone for £3,100 with his savings, Gergely aimed to resell it for a profit. However, the buyer paid him with counterfeit banknotes, leaving Gergely shocked and financially vulnerable.

Having moved to Brockworth from Hungary just 18 months prior, Gergely had spent summers working hard to cultivate his e-commerce business, initially reselling clothes and small items. Confident in his venture, he upgraded to investing in the high-tech drone, listed online at £3,800. When a buyer showed interest, Gergely preferred a bank transfer, but the buyer insisted on paying cash.

On March 14, Gergely and his father met the buyer at a Costa Coffee car park in Birmingham. Though Gergely wished to verify the cash before handing over the drone, the buyer was impatient and rushed away after handing over an envelope of notes without allowing a count. It quickly became clear the money was fake.

Gergely said, “I never would have imagined this happening. The buyer seemed so confident, like a professional scammer. The fake notes were so convincing that I didn’t notice until I compared them to genuine currency later.”

He identified telltale signs such as blurry printing, off-colour notes, and repeated serial numbers. Despite reporting the incident to the police the next day, Gergely has yet to receive an update and has since created a GoFundMe page to help reclaim his lost funds.

The experience has shaken his confidence in buying and selling, and he now urges others to exercise caution. “Always carry a genuine note to compare, check the serial numbers closely, and verify cash before handing over goods,” he advises. “If I can help even one person avoid this ordeal, it will be worth it.”

Gloucestershire Police have been contacted for comment regarding Gergely’s report.