Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Counterfeit currency use on rise in Interior, police warn

Several areas in the Interior have experienced a spike recently in counterfeit currency passed or attempted to be passed.

Several areas in the Interior have experienced a spike recently in counterfeit currency passed or attempted to be passed.

RCMP have received 23 complaints of counterfeit money since July 26 in Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Okanagan Falls, Penticton, West Kelowna, Lake Country and Salmon Arm.

The incidents involved Canadian $20, $50 and $100 bills from between the years of 2001 and 2006.

The security features to check to avoid counterfeit include: the watermark, the security thread, the overall print quality, the metallic or holographic strip and the puzzle number or see-through number.

"The typical modus operandi is for the passer to make an inexpensive purchase and pay with a large denomination, in turn receiving a large percentage of change back in authentic currency. Feel, look and flip the bank note to check the security features," said RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.