Provincial police in Norfolk County issued a warning to area businesses after a large amount of counterfeit money was found on the street in Simcoe on Friday.
Police say the funny money included $20 and $50 denominations and was located on Robinson Street near Kent Street at around 6 p.m.
Police believe that several people may have stopped and picked up the counterfeit currency before police arrived. They say a business in the area gave a fake bill to the officers.
They are warning businesses in Norfolk County and beyond to double-check currency before they accept it.
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Police are also warning those who may have picked up the corrupt cash that if they try to spend the funny money, they can be held criminally responsible.
OPP offered some advice on how to spot the fake banknotes, including how they feel to the touch.
“Canadian and U.S. currency is produced with raised ink on the shoulders of the portrait and elsewhere on the note,” they advised in their release
“Run your fingernail over the shoulders of the portrait and you’ll feel the raised ink on a genuine note.”
They also suggested taking a close look at the note and the holographic foil strip.
“The finish on a genuine note does not scrape off and the colour does not run when it gets wet,” police explained.
“The holographic foil strip is embedded in the note, not added as a sticker, and does not peel off.
They also suggest flipping the bill to see if features in the window repeat on both sides and contain numbers that match the bill. The colours are also supposed to change when tilted.
Finally, the value of the bill is hidden in the maple leaf on the corner. On older bills, the holographic strip has maple leaves which are supposed to change colours when a bill is tilted. It will also contain numbers that match the bill’s value.
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