Winnipeg police say they’ve seen a marked increase in counterfeit cash around the city in recent months and are urging residents to keep an eye out for phony bills.
In the first quarter of the year alone, police said, they’ve seized $12,000 in counterfeit cash and have received more than double the number of reports of funny money. Most of the scams, they say, likely originate from outside of Canada and tend to involve denominations of $20, $50 and $100 banknotes.
Police said the fraudulent cash tends to replicate the look and feel of real banknotes, including replicating some of the security features, so it can be difficult to determine whether the cash in your wallet is the real deal or not.
Winnipeg police are on the lookout for this counterfeit ‘prop money.’.
Winnipeg Police Service
To accurately identify a phony bill, police said you can look for a slight colour difference, or for the images on the note seemingly starting to wear off. Notes becoming creased in the middle — similar to a paper note rather than the current polymer bills — is also a tell, as is the holographic strip being raised slightly.
The counterfeit cash that is currently being seized by police also includes serial numbers GJR710018 through GJR710022. Anyone who thinks they may have a counterfeit note is asked to contact their bank or the Bank of Canada for confirmation.
