The Ottawa Police Service is warning residents of the capital about a rash of $100 counterfeit bills hitting retailers across the city.
The OPS Fraud Unit has received multiple reports of fake currency being used in several ongoing investigations since December 2024, according to a Feb. 27 press release.
These bills are often used without retailers noticing, only to be identified as counterfeit later.
In the press release, police were “asking Ottawa residents to be on the lookout” for bogus bills.
Mike Marshall, a Trenton, Ont.-area authority on Canadian coins and currency, said he finds the reports of fake bills circulating in Ottawa “concerning.”
“Any retailer or individual unknowingly attempting to deposit counterfeit money has it confiscated with no recompense,” said Marshall. “That could account for a day (of) sales or more.”
However, Marshall said counterfeit bills entering the Canadian market now are “easier to spot than in previous years” because of recent technical and security advances.
Bank of Canada spokesperson Sean Gordon said the latest bank notes are made of polymer, a material that has “leading security features” and other qualities that make it superior to paper.
According to Marshall, the Bank of Canada has “generally stayed ahead of counterfeiters.”
He added: “The new polymer notes have drastically reduced the counterfeiting of our paper money since its introduction.”
Cases of counterfeit bills passing into circulation decreased by 73 per cent between 2014 and 2023, according to RCMP data.
With only seven counterfeit bills per million notes currently in circulation, Gordon stated that the Bank of Canada is “staying ahead of counterfeiting threats,” well below its target limit of 30 fake bills per million genuine notes.
However, a 2024 Bank of Canada statement noted that the recent success of polymer “is not a guarantee of low (counterfeit) rates in the future.”
Cpl. Mitch Thompson of the RCMP’s Commercial Crime Section shares this view.
“Unfortunately, counterfeit money is in circulation across the country,” Thompson said in a March 12 press release announcing the seizure of more than $100,000 in counterfeit Canadian currency in Ontario and Nova Scotia. “When printed on polymer, some fake bills may look real if you don’t pay attention to the security features embedded in legitimate currency.”
Despite this, Marshall said he remains optimistic.
“Most polymer counterfeits contain writing on them that easily distinguish them from the real bills. They’re not that great if you look,” he added, “but people simply don’t look.”
This comes at a time when York Region and surrounding cities, including Barrie, Ont., recently saw more than a dozen cases of counterfeit money being used for cash purchases arranged online.
As of 2023, Ontario remains the leading province for counterfeit currency entering circulation in Canada, according to RCMP data.
Marshall said combatting these numbers would require a province-wide effort to “educate the public.”
“The police will put out splashes, like this press release, but that isn’t the same as the provincial government actually putting out an eight-minute release and educating everybody,” he said.
To that end, Ottawa Police offered some tips when dealing with counterfeit currency:
- Check serial numbers when accepting cash. Each bill should have a unique serial number.
- Check the window on the bill for tiny numbers matching the denomination.
- Verify that the portrait in the window matches the main portrait.
- Use a small, bright light to see tiny numbers in the maple leaf window.
- Ensure the image in the window changes colour.
- Feel the raised ink on the main portrait by running your finger over it.
- Observe the bill to see if it is identified as “prop money” or “for film use only,” often times, this can be seen in the fine print.
