Port Moody police are warning businesses to be wary of counterfeit U.S. bills after an investigation turned up $2,000 worth of fake bills.
On Jan. 30, PMPD received a report of a counterfeit $50 US bill being passed at a local business and a 40-year-old Coquitlam male was identified as the suspect through video surveillance.
He was arrested and police searched his residence and found approximately $2,000 in bogus Canadian and U.S. bills in a variety of denominations.
However, it was April 4 before the United States Secret Service attended the Port Moody Police Station and confirmed that the seized U.S. currency is in fact counterfeit.
The investigation is continuing, although no charges have been laid, and police are warning the public to be cautious when conducting cash transactions.
Police recommend that at least two security features on any notes be confirmed and recommend two websites for obtaining more information: https://www.bankofcanada.ca/banknotes/counterfeit-prevention/ and https://www.uscurrency.gov/
Free training is available to help detect suspicious notes, according to the Canadian website, while the U.S. website lists a number of security features on various denominations.
