A fake $100 note has been used in Weston, prompting a warning from police about counterfeit money.
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Sometime on May 8 or 9, a customer used the fake cash as payment at a bakery on Cessnock Road.
The business owner was alerted to the issue when he attempted to bank the note.
CCTV footage is being reviewed to identify the offender.
Central Hunter crime manager Detective Inspector George Radmore said there had been no other recent reports of counterfeit money across the command.
However he urged people to be vigilant and look for warning signs when handling notes.
“At a casual glance [fake notes] can be viewed as legitimate,” he said.
Inspector Radmore said the clear windows on the notes were extremely difficult to copy.
He also said $50 and $100 notes were the most common counterfeits.
The Reserve Bank of Australia advises people to check a range of features to ensure the authenticity of banknotes.
The features include:
- It is made of plastic. It is difficult to start a tear along the edge of a genuine banknote. A genuine banknote should spring back if it is scrunched.
- It has the Coat of Arms
- It has diamond-shaped patterns inside a circle on both sides of the banknote. If you hold the banknote up to the light, the patterns should line up perfectly to form a seven-pointed star.
- It has the clear window. Check the white image printed on the window cannot be easily rubbed off. There is also a wave pattern in the window of the $10 banknote, and the value of the banknote in the windows of $20, $50 and $100 banknotes.
- It is printed with a special raised ink that can be felt with your finger.
- It has sharp background printing. Check for irregularities such as less clearly defined patterns, thicker or thinner lines, or colour differences.
- Under a magnifying glass it will have tiny, clearly defined words on the top left corner of the $5 note and near the portraits on the other banknotes.
- Most of the banknote should not fluoresce. The exceptions are the serial numbers, a patch on the $5 banknote and a patch on the $20, $50 and $100 banknotes that also shows the value (e.g. 50).
Anyone with information about counterfeit cash is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
