Police are warning Ontario residents of counterfeit currency making the rounds, leaving consumers and vendors as victims.
Between the beginning of 2017 and July 10, the OPP received 82 reports of counterfeit bills in its West Region alone, ranging in value from $5 to $100 bills in Canadian and American bank notes.
The OPP is partnering with the Bank of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to educate citizens and business owners about how to spot counterfeit currency and what to do when they encounter fake cash.
The RCMP reports 17,504 counterfeit Canadian bank notes passed in 2016 – 3,934 of those (roughly 22 percent) in Ontario.
When dealing with someone who is attempting to pass counterfeit bank notes, cash handlers must ensure their own safety first, police advise, offering some tips on things to watch for:
– be especially careful during busy periods, when counterfeit notes are more likely to be passed;
– be wary of customers who want to pay with much higher denominations of bills than needed;
– if possible, keep the suspicious bank note and record all relevant information about the bill and the person, such as denomination, serial number, time, context, physical descriptions, and vehicles and licence plates;
– contact your local police service; and
– give the suspicious bank note to the police and request a receipt – if the note is genuine, it will be returned.
“Remember, someone passing a counterfeit bank note may not be aware it is phoney – he or she could also be an unwitting victim of crime,” police note.
Even with new technology, no counterfeiter is able to produce an exact duplicate of a genuine bank note – a counterfeit is always an inferior copy of the original.
At first glance, a good counterfeit looks real but if you know what to look for – and feel for – it only takes a few seconds to detect a fake.
More information about Canadian bank note security features is available on the Bank of Canada website.
Police note large scale counterfeit currency activity in Canada is usually facilitated by organized crime groups involved in other criminal activities including weapons offences, drugs and identity theft.
Possession, use or creation of counterfeit currency is an indictable offence punishable upon conviction by up to 14 years in prison.
“Counterfeit deterrence requires a team approach from all partners including law enforcement agencies, the Bank of Canada, retailers and the public working together,” stated Chief Superintendent J.E. (John) Tod of the OPP Investigation and Support Bureau.
“If you come across phoney money, contact your local police service.”
