Police see more counterfeit money in Waterloo Region

WATERLOO REGION — Fraud detectives are seeing more counterfeit money circulating in Waterloo Region, and it’s not just big bills but also $20 and $5 bills.

Det. Const. Dave Lea of the Waterloo Regional Police said the amount of fake Canadian cash circulating is up four times from last year.

Since January, there have been 90 occurrences of counterfeit money and police worry the numbers could skyrocket over the Christmas shopping season.

Lea said there are “good quality” $100 bills that aren’t real and police are warning businesses to watch out for them.

Police held a fraud awareness seminar at police headquarters Monday night.

Lea said people using the counterfeit cash will “pass it with other notes to try and distract others.”

He said they are going to places of business that use cash, such as farmers’ markets. Some have been using $50 fake bills there, he said.

“They try their best to hit places where cash is acceptable,” he said.

Lea said people who are producing counterfeit money share techniques with each other.

“It doesn’t need to be high quality to get by people,” he said.

For example, a cab driver might receive two fake $20s that are folded when it’s dark so checking the bills might be difficult.

“It’s a form of distraction,” Lea said. “They show the money and then fold it up and pass it.”

He said the biggest reason the fake money is passed is because many employees don’t want to question or anger customers.

But legitimate customers will be just as surprised by the fake money and will wait for police to arrive, he said.

“Others will leave as fast as they possibly can,” he said.

Lea reminds those who are handling cash daily to trust their instincts. “Trust your feel,” he said. Police offer these tips to detect counterfeit cash:

Run your hand across the bill. It should have a smooth texture and raised ink on the shoulders of the portrait, the large number and the Bank of Canada text.

Look at the transparent window featuring a building and portrait. When you tilt the note, there should be colour changes in both the building and portrait.

On genuine bills, the eyes of the portrait will look real; on a fake note, the eyes look more like blobs of ink.

The holograph should be flat against the bill.