Passing counterfeit currency has become a bit of an issue in the Campbell River area lately, but you don’t have to be fooled.
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Counterfeit currency is usually very easy to spot if you know what you’re looking for, says RCMP spokesperson Maury Tyre.
Due to the large increase in credit and debit card use, however, store clerks and businesses are often not as accustomed to taking cash and don’t know what counterfeit measures exist on Canadian or US currency.
Some simple tips for clerks and owners:
Flip over and look at both sides of the bill (there are bills out there with Chinese characters on one side that are clearly fake)
If someone is paying with a large bill to get a large amount of change back, the bill is probably worth a second look
Feel and cut (Bills have texture with raised ink, and the cuts on the paper are uniform, fakes often have uneven edges or one end is longer than the other)
Most US bills have metallic threads embedded in the bill and reverse images of the face on the bill. Both are visible when the bills are held up to a light.
Educate yourself and employees by following links to The Bank of Canada Bank of Canada which have education materials on Canadian Currency and links to the US currency education plan.
Most of the counterfeits we see are obvious, Tyre said.
“Some of bills that have been turned in to us could have easily have been spotted if a clerk were to turn the bill over or if they held it up to a light,” he said.
If you suspect you are in possession of counterfeit bill it should be turned in to police.
If you have information regarding people passing counterfeit currency in the community please contact the Campbell River RCMP at 250-286-6221.