How to spot counterfeit money: Urgent warning as fake cash spreads across Australia
Counterfeit $50 notes Darwin and Sydney police are circulating around the neighborhood urging residents to be vigilant
Australians have been told to be on the lookout for counterfeit $50 notes circulating across the country.
NT Police said last week that the counterfeit bank notes were handed out by a local business in Darwin.
‘The note has a paper texture and visible flaws in the security window, which has been glued,’ they said.
“The police urged everyone to be careful about the distribution of fake money.”
Australians have been told to be on the lookout for counterfeit money as fake $50 notes spread across the country
NT Police said last week that the counterfeit bank notes were handed out by a local business in Darwin
To the untrained eye, the $50 notes appear to look like real coins but upon closer inspection there is a visible circle around the clear portion of the note containing the Southern Cross.
Daily Mail Australia can confirm similar botched notes have popped up in Sydney.
A Sydney woman who came across a fake $50 note quickly discovered it was a fake after scrunching it up into a ball.
The note could also easily be torn in half.
Queensland Police issued an alert in May this year after counterfeit $100 notes were found in the Bundaberg area.
Anyone who comes across money they suspect is counterfeit is urged to contact police.
A Sydney woman who came across a fake $50 note quickly discovered it was a fake after she was able to scratch it into a ball.
Counterfeit notes can easily be torn in half
Last October, students at one of Sydney’s most prestigious schools were allegedly caught defrauding a small business owner out of $100 using fake money.
Double Bay Newsagency store manager Jim Cho claimed that some students from Scots College in Bellevue Hill, east of the city, came into his store and asked to exchange four $50 notes for two $100 notes.
However, he claimed that the two $50 notes were fake.
Double Bay Newsagency store manager Jim Cho claims Scots College students gave him counterfeit money (pictured, fake $50s given to students compared to a real note)
It wasn’t until Mr. Cho checked the register that he noticed two $50 notes were much smaller than the others – the news agency lost the students $100.
He claimed that the same group then came a few days later and tried to pull the same stunt again.
Mr Cho reported the incident to the police, Scots College confirmed they were cooperating with investigators and the store owner was paid in full.
How to spot fake money
Counterfeit notes may appear thicker or thinner than genuine currency
If you hold the note up to the light, you should be able to see the Australian coat of arms
Diamond-shaped patterns inside a circle are printed on both sides of the note
Check that the safety window cannot be cleaned and rubbed off
Black and shaded areas are printed with a special ink that can be felt with your finger
The background of the banknote should also be sharp and clear, so look for irregularities such as color differences, blurring, thick or thin lines, etc.
Source: Queensland Police