Police are calling for Calgarians to be vigilant when it comes to accepting cash as they deal with a rise in the number of counterfeit bills being passed around in the city.
The Calgary Police Service (CPS) said it has investigated 39 cases of counterfeit bills being used in the past two months, for a total of $12,400.
It said the counterfeit bills have come in $100, $50 and $20 denominations.
Investigators said the plastic counterfeit notes have ink that “readily flakes off.”
“The colour of the note is not that crisp and of the wrong colouring, microprinting is unreadable and there is a distinctive ridge by the large transparent window which indicates a taped-on piece of material,” they added.
Police warned crude fake bills may also be printed on paper which rips easily, and use clear tape, duct tape or tinfoil.
Another way to identify a fake bill: look for a missing value in the transparent window, or a value that does not match the value of the note.
CPS said Canadian polymer notes also have security features, including raised ink on the large denomination number, the words “Bank of Canada” and raised dots for the visually impaired.
They said the metallic portrait on the note will also change colour as you tilt the bill.
Additionally, each note should have a different serial number.
If you’re unsure whether the note is real, politely refuse it and ask for another, police advised.