Surge in counterfeit U.S. bills in Halifax prompts police warning

Halifax police are advising people and local businesses that counterfeit American bills are being circulated in the area.

READ MORE: How to tell if your $5 bill is a counterfeit

The warning comes after police say they received at least eight reports of counterfeit U.S. bills in $20, $50 and $100 denominations.

The incidents on file are:

• On Feb. 24, five $20 U.S. counterfeit bills were retrieved from a Halifax pharmacy used to make a purchase the evening of Feb. 23.
• On March 2, police retrieved one $100 U.S. counterfeit bill from a Halifax bank that it had received Feb. 28.
• Police retrieved 24 bills in $20, $50 and $100 denominations on March 2 from a payment processing and currency management company in Dartmouth. The bills had been received from various retail and business clients operating in Atlantic Canada.
• A financial institution in Dartmouth made a report to police on March 8 that it had received seven counterfeit $20 bills.
• Counterfeit bills were retrieved by police on March 15 from a Halifax gas station. The bills had been used to make a purchase.
• On March 16, police received a report from a Fall River business that a man had bought two prepaid credit cards on March 13 using counterfeit $20 bills.
• On March 20, a Tantallon business reported to police that a man made a transaction on March 8 using 10 counterfeit $20 bills.
• Police received a report on March 21 from a financial institution in Dartmouth that 20 counterfeit $20 U.S. bills had been received.

Police investigators say they’ve also been advised of the presence of counterfeit U.S. bills in the Greater Toronto Area, which indicates wider circulation of the counterfeit currency.

Police remind people that in addition to passing counterfeit money being a crime, people cannot be reimbursed if they unknowingly accept a counterfeit bill. People also don’t have to accept a bill if they suspect it’s counterfeit, police say.

There are several ways to recognize a counterfeit bill, police say in a release.

Canadian polymer bills have advanced security features that make it difficult to counterfeit and easy for people to recognize a falsehood including:

• Raised ink on the front
• Metallic symbols and images are contained in a large window
• A maple leaf border around the large window
• Frosted maple leaf window

American notes also have security features including:

• Background colours and large, borderless portrait images
• Paper uniquely made of cotton and linen with red and blue fibers randomly distributed
• Off-centre portraits without a frame
• Watermark
• Some notes contain a colour shifting ink
• Security thread
• Some notes may have a 3D security ribbon
• Serial numbers that correspond with a specific year

The Bank of Canada’s website has more information on how to tell whether Canadian bills and American currency are counterfeit. The U.S. Currency Education Program also has information on how you can determine if a bill is fake.

If you suspect a bill someone attempts to use is counterfeit, or if you believe you’ve received a counterfeit bill, police ask you to call 902-490-5020 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.