A 33-year-old Woodstock man was arrested earlier this week for allegedly using counterfeit money to buy a few lottery tickets.
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On Monday, May 13, Woodstock officers responded to a business on Norwich Avenue near Montclair Drive after receiving a report about counterfeit money being used to purchase lottery tickets.
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On Sunday, May 19, a suspect was located by police in the early afternoon who was allegedly found in possession of counterfeit cash.
The suspect was arrested and charged with one count of possession of counterfeit money and one count of passing counterfeit money.
As part of its counterfeit prevention efforts, the Bank of Canada does encourage cashiers to examine bills by checking the security features on all bills — large and small. The Bank of Canada offers free training materials to help the public, business and police use these security features, which include raised ink, color-shifting features and metallic elements.
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If you suspect you’ve been offered a counterfeit bill — and you’re not at risk in the situation — Bank of Canada officials suggest politely refusing the currency while explaining your suspicions. Ask for another bill –– and check that too — while advising the customer to contact local police. Additionally, the cashier should also inform police when there’s a possible attempt to pass suspected counterfeit money.
According to Royal Canadian Mounted Police statistics, 17,043 counterfeit bills were passed into circulation in Canada last year while roughly 39,244 bills were seized by law enforcement. The RCMP reported that the total value of the counterfeit currency passed into circulation in 2023 was roughly $1.1 million.
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