Counterfeit American bills turning up near Napanee

By Dylan O’Hagan 

BELLEVILLE – Napanee OPP have issued a warning about counterfeit American bills that have been turning up lately at businesses along the 401.

On Jan. 8, OPP seized $790 in fake bills from a vehicle stopped in Napanee.

Napanee OPP communications officer, Jackie Perry, said groups are targeting stores along the 401 to get change back from small purchases.

“Three or four of them will be in a vehicle and travel up and down the 401 to hit businesses buying insignificant items,” said Perry.

“(They) hope to cash a $50 American (bill) and get change back, that’s how they’re targeting businesses,” she went on.

Perry added that the high value of the American dollar is making stores more eager to accept the currency.

“The other thing with the American money being at such an elevated value is a lot of people want to get their hands on American money too,” she said.

There are security features you can look for to protect yourself from counterfeit currency.

American currency has several security features that vary depending on denomination and when the bill was made.  The 1996 series varies from the 2003 series in several security features including colour changing ink on the bottom right corner. Bank of Canada senior analyst, Nish Vairavanathan, said the more common 2003 series can be identified as fake quite a few different ways.

“For a twenty dollar bill, there is this optically varying ink that will go copper to green when you tilt the bill,” Vairavanathan said. “That’s one security element.”

“There is raised ink, which is a tactile feature,” he added. “And if you hold the bill up towards the light, on the right side of a note you will see a watermark portrait that is the same as the note.”

He says the best way to protect yourself is to know the security features and use them on every transaction.

“The last person winds up getting stuck with that counterfeit bill and that’s the bad part about getting a counterfeit bill. So, the best way and really the only way to protect yourself is to check that bank note at the point of sale,” he said.

For more information on how to spot a fake banknote, visit uscurrency.gov.