Jennifer Obleman
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, November 14, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Businesses are bracing for an influx of Christmas shoppers - and they should be preparing to combat counterfeiting as well, according to Const. Troy MacLean, an investigator with RCMP G Division's Commercial Crime unit.

"Sometimes we have entrepreneurs, where people attempt to make their own counterfeit money with inkjet printers. We've noticed people trying that a little more often at Christmas," said MacLean.

Christopher Buchanan inspects a counterfeit $100 bill during a counterfeiting presentation by the RCMP and Bank of Canada last month. - Jennifer Obleman/NNSL photo

"It's supposed to be the giving season. I guess it seems to be the taking season for some people."

Summer is another busy counterfeiting period, MacLean said. RCMP have investigated 20 counterfeit-related files in the NWT since June 2007. Of those, 11 were in Yellowknife.

Some of the businesses that are most vulnerable are fast-food restaurants and busy retailers.

"The largest percentage of notes passed are $20s and $10s. Businesses that have the highest flow of these notes are the most susceptible, especially if they're fast transactions," MacLean said.

About eight people attended an information session on counterfeiting at the RCMP station Oct. 30, where experts from the Bank of Canada and the RCMP spoke about detecting and dealing with counterfeit notes.

The best opportunity to stop counterfeiting is to spot it at the retail counter and prevent the bill from entering the system, said Sgt. Jim Laing, North West Region counterfeit co-ordinator with the RCMP.

If you suspect a bill is counterfeit, stop the transaction, he said.

"Treat it like you would some other type of offence, like shoplifting. You should report it. It is a crime."

Request another note and retain the suspected counterfeit if possible, and call the RCMP, he said. If the customer flees, record the details of how the note was received, including the conversation and what clothing the customer who passed it was wearing, he advised. Give the note to the police, and request a receipt. If the bill is genuine, it will be returned.

Laing urged businesses to incorporate a policy for dealing with counterfeit currency. Offences are decreasing, but continued vigilance is necessary, he said.

In 2006, there were 289,161 counterfeit bills worth $6.7 million passed in Canada. A further 33,322 bills were seized (before being passed). So far in 2007, 120,386 bills have been passed and 7,548 bills have been seized.

Counterfeit notes can often be detected by doing four quick checks: touch, tilt, look at and look through, said Michelle Witkowski, senior analyst with the Bank of Canada.

On the Canadian Journey series of bank notes - the most common bills in circulation - feel for the raised print on the Bank of Canada strip and the large numbers.

Tilt the note - the holographic stripe on $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills and the maple leaves on $5 bills should change colour and appear 3-D and brilliant.

Ensure micro-printing and fine-line patterns are sharp, and each note has a unique serial number.

Hold a $10, $20, $50 or $100 bill up to the light. The watermark portrait and see-through number should be visible and the security thread should line up straight.

"You can't check 10 features every time, but you can certainly get in the habit of doing two or three," said Witkowski.

More information about the security features of Canadian money is available on the Bank of Canada website. Educational tools such as DVDs and posters are available for businesses.