The Campbell River area is seeing a growing issue surrounding the passing of counterfeit currency.
RCMP spokesperson Maury Tyre says counterfeit currency is usually very easy to spot if you know what you are looking for.
“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,” Tyre says.
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
It is also important to educate yourself and employees by reading the education materials found on The Bank of Canada’s website.
“Most of the counterfeits we see are clearly fake,” Tyre adds. “Some of the 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.”
If you suspect you are in possession of a counterfeit bill, it should be turned in to police.
Contact the Campbell River RCMP at 250-286-6221 if you have information regarding people passing counterfeit currency in the community.
