Windsor grocery store receiving ‘two to three’ counterfeit bills per week, says owner

Counterfeit cash is on the rise, prompting the question… Do you know how to spot a fake $100 bill? CTV Windsor’s Sanjay Maru has the details.

A growing number of Canadian businesses are refusing to accept larger bills, with one grocery store in Windsor saying it has been finding ‘two to three’ counterfeit notes each week over the last three months.

Owner Parimal Parikh said Namaste Indian Supermarket has mostly been seeing fake $20 and $100 bills.

“Most of the counterfeit notes that we receive, it’s from the genuine customer,” said Parikh.

“They might not be aware that these are counterfeit notes that they’re carrying.”

As of the past three months, the store has posted signs telling customers it will no longer accept $100 bills.

“When it comes to me, we find out that it’s fake, and unfortunately, we have to bear all the loss for it,” he said.

“Every week, we deal with two to three notes that are fake, mostly 20s and 100s.”

Namaste is far from the only local business turning away larger notes.

CTV News spotted signs prohibiting customers from using $100 bills at a Domino’s Pizza, Subway, and Tim Hortons in LaSalle. The same Tim Hortons location was also not accepting $50 bills.

While fake $20 bills have also been an issue at Namaste, Parikh said banning those would be much more difficult.

“We still have to accept 20s, because most of the customers, that’s part of the cash that they carry,” he said.

“If we say no to them, then it will affect our business even more.”

Instead, Parikh said staff are being trained to check bills more carefully. The store also keeps counterfeit notes on hand to show employees what to look for.

“It slows down the business because now the cashier has to check all the notes thoroughly,” he said.

“It’s annoying for the other customer, but this is something that we have to do to avoid loss and also to spread awareness for the people.”

Windsor police say counterfeit currency reports have increased in recent months.

Sgt. Robert Durling, who leads the Windsor Police Service financial crime unit, said counterfeit currency tends to rise and fall over time, with more cases often seen around Christmas.

But lately, he said, the numbers have been climbing.

“In the last six months, we’ve probably gotten to triple figures in terms of case count,” said Durling.

“Residents, if they encounter one, are running to their local bank to trade it in or to report it. Restaurants, gas stations, other local businesses — they’re reporting it to us.”

Durling said counterfeit bills have been seen across multiple denominations, including $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes.

“Obviously, the 100 is the most profitable, but I’m seeing it even with other denominations,” he said.

How to spot a fake

The Bank of Canada says checking the security features of bank notes is the best way to avoid counterfeits.

It advises people to feel the smooth polymer texture of the bill, touch the raised ink on the portrait, large number and the words “Bank of Canada,” and slide a finger over the word “Canada” near the large transparent window.

The bank also recommends looking at the metallic portrait in the transparent window to make sure it matches the larger portrait on the front of the note, and confirming the numbers match the bill’s value.

When tilted, the note should show colour changes in the metallic portrait and other holographic features.

Parikh added one of the ways he discovered a $20 bill his store recently received is a fake was by the absence of raised dots that are on real Canadian currency.

What to do if you possess counterfeit currency

Anyone who suspects they have been offered a counterfeit note is advised to politely refuse it, ask for another bill, and report the incident to local police.

The Bank of Canada says anyone who accepts a counterfeit, knowingly or not, bears the loss, and there is no reimbursement.

Anyone who believes they have received a counterfeit bill is urged to report it to police or bring it to a bank.

Durling said it is not worth trying to pass the bill along.

“I don’t think you want to run the risk of, ‘Oh, I’m in possession of a counterfeit note. Well, now I’m just going to pass it on to someone else,’” he said.

“That probably wouldn’t be in your best interest.”

Back at Namaste Indian Supermarket, Parikh said the discovery of a fake bill is deflating.

“Sometimes, we only discover some of the currency we have is fake when we go to the bank to deposit the money in our account. Instead, they just take the cash away,” said Parikh.

“So, it’s a straight loss for us.”