FORT FRANCES, Ont. – Police say two businesses in Fort Frances were affected in a recent string of transactions using counterfeit bills. Counterfeit $50 bills were reportedly used at a Safeway grocery store, and at La Place Rendez-Vous, a local hotel.
Three of the bills were flagged by local banks, bearing similar characteristics. Const. Jim Davis, with the Rainy River District OPP, says the counterfeits are not particularly sophisticated, appearing to be made from readily available items.
“They’re not using materials that suggest it’s a highly-tuned machine doing it,” he says.
Davis says investigators will be reviewing available surveillance footage, and have already identified possible suspects. There is no indication that the bills are linked to a larger scheme or gang activity.
The OPP say the bills are made from thick paper rather than polymer; the translucent plastic on the bills is just tape; the top right corner on the face side of the bill has harsh marks or is cut off; and the maple leaf on the left side is neither translucent nor a hologram.
