RCMP detachments across Northern BC are warning business owners to be vigilant when it comes to accepting US currency, following a series of incidents.
One week ago (April 5th), police in Prince George were called to a gas station in the 1100-block of Pacific Street, for a report a man had come to the store on three separate occasions to purchase $100 Visa gift cards.
He paid for the cards using American $50 bills, but upon inspection, at least three of the six bills had the same serial number.
A man has since been identified and arrested, however, he has not yet been charged.
The following day in Vanderhoof (April 6th), a man was arrested on an unrelated warrant and found to be in possession of counterfeit US $20 bills. The man has not been charged for possession of the counterfeit currency as the investigation is ongoing.
Less than 24 hours later (April 7th), the Vanderhoof detachment received a report from an employee at a local coffee shop, where a counterfeit $50 US bill had been discovered. The suspect was described as wearing a bandana and getting into a long-haul truck prior to driving away.
The last incident occurred on Thursday (April 8th) in Fraser Lake where officers went to a gas station after a man allegedly used two $50 US bills to pay for his transaction and then departed in a big green truck.
Police have issued the following tips to business owners to recognize counterfeit currency:
Feel The Paper – Move your finger across the note. It should feel slightly rough to the touch because of the printing process and the unique composition of the paper.
Tilt The Note -Tilt the note to see the ink in the numbers on the lower right corner change color. On the current style of notes, the color should change from copper to green
Check with Light – Hold the note to light to check that the watermark and security thread is visible from the front and back of the note.