Got a fake bill? Sudbury police issue counterfeit alert

Police in Greater Sudbury warn of counterfeit $50 and $100 bills in circulation as businesses that accept them face financial losses. Madison Marier reports.

Police in Greater Sudbury have issued a public alert concerning a surge in counterfeit $50 and $100 bills circulating in the city. The warning follows multiple reports from local retailers, prompting a formal investigation into the source.

Pattern of deliberate fraud

Authorities note that the offenders are strategically varying the denominations to avoid detection. Sgt. Cameron Kidder of the Greater Sudbury Police Service explained the tactic to CTV News.

“They’re different denominations. So sometimes they’re lower, sometimes they’re higher, or a combination thereof. It just kind of depends on what the counterfeiters are trying to get away with at the time,” he said.

The investigation was initiated after police identified a trend from business reports.

“We were able to identify that there was a pattern or trend within it to help show that, oh, this is happening again. Let’s put some resources into it,” said Kidder.

Businesses rely on training, security features

Some businesses, like Second Avenue Home Hardware, have avoided losses through staff vigilance. Owner-operator Steven Stefanuto said his trained employees have successfully refused suspicious notes.

“So far, we haven’t had any issues with the people that are trying to pass them off. They just kind of (like) okay, I’ll grab another bill and they’ll go back to the bank. If that’s where they said they got it from,” said Stefanuto.

He attributes this success to using Bank of Canada resources.

“They have all kinds of literature on how to distinguish real from fake bills,” said Stefanuto.

“We give that to our staff, especially our cashiers.”

The Bank of Canada emphasizes that authentic notes have specific, hard-to-replicate security features, including a clear window with a holographic stripe and a frosted maple leaf.

“I want to warn you; they’re going to look alike. There’s going to be some similarities because the banknote itself has certain features people will copy, also they’ll simulate that, but they don’t simulate the security features, and that’s the key,” said Manuel Parreira, a senior regional representative of the Bank of Canada’s currency team.

Direct financial loss for retailers

The ultimate financial burden of accepting counterfeit money falls on the business.

Kidder highlighted the significant consequences for local enterprises when speaking with CTV News.

“It is unfortunate that if a business were to, for example, take $100 bill, they’re going to be out $100, because the bill has to be taken out of circulation as being fraudulent.”

These direct losses underscore the critical importance of the police alert and continued public awareness.