After a series of local fraud incidents, Ponoka RCMP are warning residents to look out for counterfeit $100 bills.
In the last two months counterfeit bills have shown up in Ponoka throughout a variety of businesses, said Const. Michael De Ryck.
“One turned up at True Value and another at a bank. The stories being used seem to be the same.”
The story goes something like this: a man claims he is a currency collector who has been holding onto to his money to make a profit but for some reason now has to spend it.
This story, and others like it, have been seen in a few of the cases. RCMP aren’t aware if there’s more than one individual involved, but in at least two of the cases it has been one single male.
“This is affecting businesses and the public,” De Ryck said.
The serial numbers of the counterfeit bills have been recorded and RCMP are working to get surveillance videos out of the stores where the incidents occurred.
In the meantime, they’re calling on the public to keep an eye out for counterfeit bills.
The best way to tell if a bill is counterfeit, De Ryck said, is if the currency has horizontal lines running across it, or looks to be grainy. If the currency denomination on the hologram strip is not clear, it’s best to check it out.
Anyone with information that might assist investigators is asked to call Ponoka RCMP at (403) 783-4471.