How to legitimise a large amount of cash?
How to legitimise a large amount of cash?
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Bill

Original Poster:

58,649 posts

284 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Just curious as a friend of a colleague has been handed £20k in £20 notes that her (bonkers...) mum has been hoarding. Now the new notes are out she has 6 months before they're not in circulation.

Presumably if she just turned up at a bank with it she'd be asked lots of awkward questions, so what can she do?

It sound like the mum is trying to hide the money so it doesn't get spent on care.

DuraAce

4,272 posts

189 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Had the same issue last year (albeit without the expiry issue) of a grandparent hoarding £25k in cash in a wardrobe.
We banked it in small quantities, couple of hundred each time, into multiple accounts, over several weeks. Paid for a few bits in cash instead of cards and got trusted close relatives to do the same. No issues at all.
Bank never asked any questions with £2/300 being deposited each time.
I imagine trying to pay in 20k in one go will raise a few problems!

DavSki153

3 posts

83 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Sounds like its time to search the Classifieds! Could get a beauty for £20k.

In all seriousness, Large private sales would be a good way of exchanging the money?

I wouldn't worry about depositing that amount in the bank, they might ask you where you got it from but you could then just say you sold your car or family members car?

Stay in Bed Instead

22,362 posts

186 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Bill said:
Just curious as a friend of a colleague has been handed £20k in £20 notes that her (bonkers...) mum has been hoarding. Now the new notes are out she has 6 months before they're not in circulation.

Presumably if she just turned up at a bank with it she'd be asked lots of awkward questions, so what can she do?

It sound like the mum is trying to hide the money so it doesn't get spent on care.
6 months, what makes you think that?

Bill

Original Poster:

58,649 posts

284 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Stay in Bed Instead said:
6 months, what makes you think that?
Just what I've been told. Looks like it's 6 months from the announcement they're being withdrawn. https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/20-pound...

Bill

Original Poster:

58,649 posts

284 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
DuraAce said:
Had the same issue last year (albeit without the expiry issue) of a grandparent hoarding £25k in cash in a wardrobe.
We banked it in small quantities, couple of hundred each time, into multiple accounts, over several weeks. Paid for a few bits in cash instead of cards and got trusted close relatives to do the same. No issues at all.
Bank never asked any questions with £2/300 being deposited each time.
I imagine trying to pay in 20k in one go will raise a few problems!
Sounds easier than I expected. smile I'd have thought there were systems to spot a pattern of deposits to prevent money laundering. Maybe they're not very good, or maybe you're now in a list! biggrin

kestral

2,233 posts

236 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Why is a bank going to ask questions about some one changing 20k of old £20 notes for new ones that they have saved Up? rotate



semisane

900 posts

111 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Bill said:
Just what I've been told. Looks like it's 6 months from the announcement they're being withdrawn. https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/20-pound...
This what it says on the link

We’ll give you 6 months’ notice of the date you’ll no longer be able to use the paper £20

so subtly different ?

Ardennes92

711 posts

109 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
I am sure there are money laundering systems in place but when I deposited a quite large but legitimate amount into a bank, the clerk just assumed “sold a car, have we”; as it happened it was something else but I didn’t correct him

BMWBen

4,906 posts

230 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
What's wrong with "my bonkers mum has been hoarding"?

Pothole

34,367 posts

311 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
They will ask, you will tell the truth, they will bank the funds and credit your account. There will be no inquisition, no black helicopters in the sky and nobody will be waterboarded. Why is everyone so afraid of honesty?

Oakey

27,981 posts

245 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
kestral said:
Why is a bank going to ask questions about some one changing 20k of old £20 notes for new ones that they have saved Up? rotate
Because a bank doesn't know whether you acquired it by saving it up or selling cocaine.

R8Steve

4,150 posts

204 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
DuraAce said:
Had the same issue last year (albeit without the expiry issue) of a grandparent hoarding £25k in cash in a wardrobe.
We banked it in small quantities, couple of hundred each time, into multiple accounts, over several weeks. Paid for a few bits in cash instead of cards and got trusted close relatives to do the same. No issues at all.
Bank never asked any questions with £2/300 being deposited each time.
I imagine trying to pay in 20k in one go will raise a few problems!
That would look significantly more suspicious than just putting the lot in unfortunately.

Just put the lot in at once, if you get asked where it came from just tell them.


anonymous-user

83 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Theres nothing to legitimise, just pay the cash in. The cashier will either pass no comment at all or ask where it came from, the reason you've explained is perfectly acceptable. If they started paying in similar large amounts on a regular basis, that's when more questions would be asked.

geeks

11,641 posts

168 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
You could spend some on blow and hookers and then waste the rest?

Motorrad

6,811 posts

216 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Unless there is something dodgy going on just pay it in.

If there is something dodgy going on then you need to google 'how to money launder uk' rather than posting here.

NNH

1,548 posts

161 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Bill said:
Just curious as a friend of a colleague has been handed £20k in £20 notes that her (bonkers...) mum has been hoarding. Now the new notes are out she has 6 months before they're not in circulation.

Presumably if she just turned up at a bank with it she'd be asked lots of awkward questions, so what can she do?

It sound like the mum is trying to hide the money so it doesn't get spent on care.
Dear Friend Of Colleague Of Bill
I am the Crown Prince of Nigeria, and I can help you...

martinbiz

3,699 posts

174 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Pothole said:
They will ask, you will tell the truth, they will bank the funds and credit your account. There will be no inquisition, no black helicopters in the sky and nobody will be waterboarded. Why is everyone so afraid of honesty?
Not sure this whole scenario is too honest though, sounds more like trying to hide savings to benefit from the care system

bitchstewie

67,552 posts

239 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
martinbiz said:
Not sure this whole scenario is too honest though, sounds more like trying to hide savings to benefit from the care system
Quite the leap hehe

When we lost one of my grandparents we had the removals people in and they lifted up a sideboard and it was literally like it was raining tenners.

People do weird stuff because it seems normal to them.

Muzzer79

13,075 posts

216 months

Monday 2nd March 2020
quotequote all
Sten. said:
Theres nothing to legitimise, just pay the cash in. The cashier will either pass no comment at all or ask where it came from, the reason you've explained is perfectly acceptable. If they started paying in similar large amounts on a regular basis, that's when more questions would be asked.
This.

If you were trying to bank £20k in twenties every week then you'd get looked at but, in your case, just be honest.

SWAT won't break the door down for a one-off deposit.