North Vancouver RCMP are warning the public about counterfeit money in circulation after aresting a man they allege was paying North Shore businesses with fake United States cash.
Police arrested the 48-year-old man on Dec. 12 after staff at a local hotel felt something was off about the $160 in cash they received from the suspect
“As they started looking at it a little more closely,… they weren’t 100 per cent certain. That’s why they called us. We happened to have a car in the area and went by at confirmed it to be counterfeit,” said Cpl. Richard De Jong, North Vancouver RCMP spokesman.
As the investigation continued, police began to suspect the man used similar funny money to buy gift cards at a local gas station and drugstore. The suspect had another phony $100 on him in $10s, $20s and $50s, De Jong said.
Police could not say where the funny money came from. “We have a way of tracking down serial numbers on the bills to see if they relate to any other seizures,” he said.
“Everything is being investigated at this point.”
Police are recommending charges of possessing counterfeit money and attempting to pass it off although charges have not yet been approved by Crown.
Businesses need to be extra wary this time of year when lots of money is changing hands, De Jong said.
Fake United States currency is far more common than Canadian, he added.
“Christmastime is certainly when bills are passed off, especially in an environment where there’s busy clerks and lots of transactions,” he said.
People or businesses who find themselves stuck with fake bills are not likely to be arrested for possessing counterfeits, De Jong said, although they are liable for the losses.
“It’s as good as stealing services. It’s fraud. It’s theft,” he said.
