Even before you look for security features below, consider how the note feels, as this is one of the first thing people usually notice when they are given counterfeit money. At the Bottom of this Page, an easy fast way to detect Canadian Counterfeit money..This one is for my Night Cabby Friends! Thanks Ray

If you have a counterfeit bill the notes will feel waxier and won’t have the embossed printing found on legitimate currency. “Flat and glossy” are the words they usually use to explain what might be wrong with a counterfeit bill. The crispness of the color is another key indicator.

Spotting counterfeit cash: 4 key security features

The newer “Canadians Journey” series notes are easily identified by the holographic strip on the left side of the front of the bill. These have four security features that can be quickly checked without special equipment.

1. Holographic stripe: located to the left of portrait on the front of the bill. If you tilt the note back and forth you will see 2 maple leafs that will change color as you move the bill. Also, there will be small numerals in the background that match the amount of the currency. For example, on the $20 bill you will see small twenties.
2. Watermark portrait: in the white space just to right of portrait on the front of each new bill you will see a watermark version of portrait and the number that corresponds to the currency amount when you hold the note up to light. This security feature can be seen from both sides of the note.
3. Featured number: the front and back of each bill have some irregular marks that merge perfectly to form the number of the currency when you hold the bill up to the light. For example, on the $10 bill the broken lines turn into a perfect ten. Counterfeit bills will not have a perfect match.
4. Dashed lines: on the left side of the back of the note the dashed metallic lines will shift from gold to green as you tilt the bill. Inside in tiny type you will see the letters CAN followed by the denomination of the bill. Hold the note up to the light and the dashed lines will merge to form a continuous dark line.

Note: you should check at least two security features, as a counterfeiter may perfect one of the features when producing illegal currency.

Other security features & older notes

There are many other features that you can learn about and check as well. For example, bank notes also have ultraviolet (UV) threads scattered randomly on the bill along with the words Bank of Canada and the denomination.

The use of UV threads on the newest series of bills is even more sophisticated, as the colors are red and yellow intertwined to form images and words, whereas there were only blue and red ultraviolet threads previously.

It is also important to note that the original $5 and $10 bills in the Canadian Journey series did not have all of the security features mentioned above. In May 2005 the $10 bill was upgrade to include these features and on November 16, 2006 the $5 bill was also upgrade.

With older notes in circulation it is important to make sure your staff knows how to spot older counterfeit bills as well as new ones.

The original $5 and $10 notes in the Canadian Journey series had a cluster of three iridescent maple leafs in the same area where the watermark is located on newer notes. The leaves change from a faint image to a shiny gold color when you tilt the note back and forth. These notes also had a hidden number to the left of the portrait on the bill. When you hold the note at eye level and tilt it slightly a number 5 or 10 will appear on the bill.

What to do if you receive a counterfeit bill

Each business that handles cash should have a policy for identifying counterfeit currency and dealing with a situation when counterfeit money is received.

1. If you suspect that a bill is counterfeit, look for problems with other security features. Try to identify problems with at least 2 security features.
2. Always put the safety of yourself and your staff first.
3. If you are convinced that the bill is counterfeit, stop the transaction and inform the customer that you believe the note is suspicious. Inform the custom that it is both your company policy and required by law for you to keep the note and hand it over to the police.
4. You can explain that while you have checked several security features and suspect the note because of problems with two or more of these features, the police are the only people who can determine whether a bill is counterfeit or not.
5. Make sure that you don’t question the integrity of the person who has given you the note, as he or she may be an innocent victim.
6. Do not return the note to the passer. If the person becomes hostile or you are concerned that they may become physical call 911 immediately.
7. Immediately contact law enforcement on a non-emergency line if the person who gave you the note is cooperative. If at all possible try to keep the person on hand while you wait for the police.
8. You should make notes about what has happened, describing the person who gave you the note as well as the date and time that the note was received.
9. When the police take the note, ask for a receipt.
10. The police will send the bill to the RCMP, who have a special lab where the note will be analyzed. If the note is legitimate it will be returned.

The Bank of Canada notes: That keeping a suspect note does not imply that you have accepted it as payment. Also, it is illegal for anyone to knowingly pass along a counterfeit note, so if someone demanded the return of the note it would be illegal for them to try to pass it off on another unsuspecting person or merchant.

Since counterfeit bills are not exchanged for valid currency, the last person “holding the note” is the one who will take the loss. As a consumer you have the same rights as a merchant. If you suspect that a business has given you a counterfeit bill, follow the steps mentioned above. You have the right to refuse a note if you are given it in change and believe it is counterfeit.

Withdrawing your currency from a bank’s ATM machine does not guarantee that you will receive “clean” notes. While there are processes in place to ensure that the bills in the bank machines are genuine, counterfeit notes do slip through the cracks. Therefore you should check these bills as well.

If you find a counterfeit bill you should go into the bank immediately if it is open or contact the bank if that isn’t the case. It is up to the branch to decide whether they will reimburse someone who alleges that they received counterfeit money from a bank machine.

As Promised: For Night drivers, where a good light to spot Counterfeit Money is not always available! This ones easy, and really works. With your finger or thumb lightly rub the face on your Bill. “Around the Cheek Area“. you should feel the roughness of his Beard! Yes there is some raised embossed printing in this area. This technique works best with $100.00 and $50.00 bills, but with practice you can spot a $20 Bill Yes even the Queen has a Beard..Blind People use this Technique A $10, and $5 with the touch. Try it you really can feel the Beard, and what I’ve been told is Counterfeiters have not perfected the raised print!

Canadian Counterfiet Currency

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