Businesses warned about counterfeit money being used in Fort St. John

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Businesses in Fort St. John have been warned about an increase in counterfeit money use in the city.

According to a press release by Fort St. John RCMP, a patron of a local fast-food restaurant attempted to pay for their order using a counterfeit $50 bill on Monday, November 24th.

Officers said they found the fraudulent money was created using part of a $5 bill. Police say the suspect had since left the premises.

The statement says this is one of a string of recent incidents involving fake money in the area, and more counterfeit currency could be submitted to retailers in Fort St. John.

Police say counterfeit bills have several differences from real money, including:

• Counterfeit bills may have the transparent strip and maple leaves present to appear authentic, but will be printed on regular paper, not polymer.
• Counterfeit bills, such as $50 notes, often contain the transparent strips from lower-value $5 or $10 bills. The denomination on the transparent strip should match that of the bill.
• Multiple counterfeit bills will likely share the same serial number, as they usually replicate a single genuine bill.

The RCMP says merchants have the right to refuse any money they believe is counterfeit currency. 

If you come into contact with what you suspect is fraudulent currency, contact the Fort St. John RCMP at 250 787 8100.