North Vancouver RCMP are advising businesses and residents to be cautious following a recent increase in counterfeit $50 and $100 Canadian bank notes circulating in the community.
Over the past two months, police have received at least 11 reports of high-quality counterfeit bills being used at various North Vancouver businesses.
According to the RCMP, the seized counterfeit notes share several common features:
-
Identical serial numbers
-
Plastic material similar to genuine Canadian currency
-
A holographic sticker intended to mimic official embedded security features
“In Canada, it is an offence under the Criminal Code to knowingly use or possess counterfeit money,” said Cpl. Mansoor Sahak, Media Relations Officer for North Vancouver RCMP. “If you unknowingly accept counterfeit cash, you cannot be reimbursed and will be responsible for the loss. Familiarizing yourself with the security features of genuine bank notes can help protect against fraud.”
Businesses accepting cash are encouraged to carefully examine banknotes to ensure they are legitimate. Information on verifying the security features of Canadian currency is available on the Bank of Canada’s website.
Anyone with information regarding counterfeit currency, or who wishes to report an incident, is asked to contact North Vancouver RCMP at 604-985-1311.
