RCMP warn of counterfeit cash in Nanaimo
Nanaimo RCMP are warning workers about counterfeit bills that have begun appearing in the city.
Police say that four incidents of people trying to purchase items with counterfeit cash have been reported since Dec. 1.
Three of the incidents involved $100 bills, and one incident featured a $20 bill.
The first incident was reported on Wednesday after a man bought antiques from a store with three $100 bills, police say.
The man reportedly took out a wad of cash from his front pants pockets and pulled the counterfeit bills out of the clump.
"The suspect was extremely aggressive and managed to persuade the clerk into agreeing to the purchase," said Nanaimo RCMP in a release Monday.
Soon after the transaction was over, police say the worker realized the bills were fake.
"In each reported case, the counterfeit bills were of poor quality, ripped quite easily and the hologram sticker could be scratched off," said Const. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
"These are not characteristics of legitimate bills and they should not be accepted," he said.
Police say a white man, about six-feet tall with a muscular build, was involved in two of the incidents, both of which involved fake $100 bills. He has short hair and was wearing a baseball cap with a camo bandana underneath.
Mounties have not released a description of those who may have been involved in the remaining $100 bill scam, and $20 counterfeit bill incident.
Police say the one incident involving a counterfeit $20 bill is not believed to be related to the $100 bills, and may have been an isolated incident.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345, and quote file # 2021-44597.
"If you suspect that a customer has presented a counterfeit bill, politely refuse the transaction and ask for another bill or means of payment," said Nanaimo RCMP on Monday. "Do not get drawn into an exchange with the customer, and if possible, alert other staff to your situation."
Once the customer has left, contact Nanaimo RCMP, police say.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.