BEWARE FAKE $50 NOTES
SCAMMERS flaunting fake $50 notes are causing headaches for local business owners in Ocean Grove, with one cafe accepting four counterfeit notes in separate transactions.
Driftwood Cafe owner Ty Simons said he was shocked to find the fake money mixed in with his business’s earnings earlier this week.
Mr Simons said it was in- credibly disheartening that people were taking advantage of local traders during the busy summer season.
“They’re really well-done fakes, I can’t be mad at staff for accepting them,” he said.
“If we’ve been hit four times, I can’t imagine that we would be the only business in the area.”
As president of the Ocean Grove Traders Association, Mr Simons is not only concerned about his own business but others in the town.
“It’s very frustrating, but we’re a larger business, we can take the hit. I’m concerned about the smaller other businesses around Ocean Grove who could be really affected by this,” he said.
“If these people are anything like their UK counterparts, they will always use it to pay for a small transaction, they want us to turn their fake money into real cash.
“Be vigilant with every note that passes your counters.”
Bellarine police officer Ser- geant Shane Connolly said he was not aware of any counterfeit notes reported to police recently, but it was a serious concern.
“People need to notify police ASAP, and hopefully with an identified time and date, the quicker we can get onto it and let others know to be wary the better,” he said.
Sgt Connolly advised anyone who thought they had a fake note to put it in a bag to the side and alert local authorities.