Police and Hamilton are warning the public and businesses about an increase in counterfeit Canadian money.
Investigators say the counterfeit bills are designed to look and imitate the current polymer banknotes and are of “high quality.” However, the bills lack the legitimate security features found in genuine Canadian currency.
Police say the bills in question involve $20, $50 and $100 notes.
“These counterfeit notes have been passed both in retail environments and during private transactions arranged through online buy-and-sell platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji,” police said in a release.
Police say there are several ways to spot the counterfeit bills:
Investigators say anyone who suspects they may have received counterfeit money is asked to contact police.
As well, anyone dealing with a cash transaction should inspect all notes carefully and politely refuse to accept any bank note they suspect may be fake. They also say no one should take any action that could put them at risk, and to realize that the person presenting them with the money may not realize that it is counterfeit.