Two occurrences of counterfeit currency at a pair of businesses in Barrie.
"Police have learned that the businesses were both victimized by the same person on the evening of January 17, 2025. In the first incident, a $50 dollar bill was passed at an Essa Rd. pharmacy, and a $100 bill was used at Park Place retailer," police said in a news release.
According to Barrie Police communications coordinator Peter Leon, police services throughout southern and central Ontario have seen similar occurrences involving the same bills that date back to late last year.
"With changes to Canadian currency and the use of polymer in the bank note manufacturing process, seizures of counterfeit money in Barrie is not something that occurs regularly, " Leon added.
Police are asking business owners, their staff and the community to be proactive and conduct the look, touch and feel test on $50 and $100 bills prior to taking them into your possession.
With these particular counterfeit bills, police say the clear polymer window on the right front side of the $50 bill contains an image of Sir Robert Borden, Canada’s eighth prime minister (whose image appears in the centre and window of the $100 bill), not William Lyon Mackenzie King whose picture is depicted in the centre of the $50 bill. Also of note, on the same window, and just above one of the Centre Block Towers of Parliament image, police note there should be a number of 50’s, but the counterfeit $50 bill has 100s, and appears to be fabricated on a tape that has been affixed to the involved bills.
For information on Canadian currency and details on the additional security features that are part of the polymer bank note series, see the attached link: https://www.bankofcanada.ca/.
