The Bermuda Police Service has noticed an increase in the number of counterfeit Bermuda $50 notes being reported to police recently. The most recent is A1498951.

With the holiday season upon us, businesses are asked to remind their staff to be especially vigilant when accepting larger denominations, in particular the old style Bermuda notes.

Often these counterfeit Bermuda $50 notes are being tendered to pay for lower priced items and/or services. Usually the criminals look to target vendors who are busy and may be under pressure to serve quickly, reducing the chances that a fraudulent transaction will be detected.

If counterfeit cash is detected during a transaction, staff receiving the fake money should hold on to it, note the description of the individual who tendered it and contact police immediately.

The public is similarly encouraged to remain vigilant regarding counterfeit currency. To distinguish a genuine Bermuda note from a counterfeit one, look for the tuna fish watermark (to the left of the note), the metallic security thread (just right of the tuna fish watermark) and the silver ship (to the right of the note). Also, examine the paper quality and check to see if the serial numbers on two notes are the same, as all genuine currency has individual serial numbers.

Any suspicious circumstances regarding counterfeit currency should be reported directly to the main police telephone number 295-0011 or via the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers hotline 800-8477.

It is a criminal offence to pass to another, possess, make or reproduce any counterfeit currency; punishable by up to five years in prison.