Police warn of fake $50 and $100 notes in Hawke’s Bay stores

Siobhan McCormack inside her Hastings bookshop, where she says counterfeit notes have turned up over the years. Photo / Rafaella Melo

Police are investigating eight recent reports of counterfeit $50 and $100 notes circulating in Hawke’s Bay.

They are urging the public to be extra vigilant when handling cash.

Hastings bookshop owner Siobhan McCormack says fake money has been slipping across her counter for years.

She has run The Little Red Bookshop for more than 15 years, and said counterfeit notes were once a semi-regular nuisance.

“I suspect a lot of times I never noticed,” McCormack said.

“Cash is not really a thing now, so this is kind of almost historic.”

McCormack explained that back when cash was king, a note every now and then would feel wrong.

She said that on average she probably had encountered at least one fake note a year, though she believes more had slipped by undetected.

One incident still stands out.

“As soon as he handed it to me, I could tell it was fake, it was just so funny. I just burst into laughter. But I kept it,” McCormack said.

“I still have it. It’s in a book. I use them as bookmarks.”

McCormack said it’s almost impossible to know whether the person handing over a fake banknote is intentionally trying to scam a small business.

“I couldn’t say for sure if they know, because I don’t know if I would know,” she said.

“If someone confronted me and said, ‘this is a fake note’, my immediate reaction would probably be a bit guilty. It’s a tricky situation.”

McCormack has never reported the fake bank notes to police.

Police say suspicious notes should be reported as soon as possible and they urge businesses and the public to be vigilant.

“Members of the public, especially those working in retail or hospitality, should increase their knowledge of how to spot a fake banknote to avoid getting duped at the till,” Sergeant Nigel Hurley said.

“Manufacturing counterfeit notes or knowingly passing them on is a serious offence. Possession of forged bank notes can be punishable by up to seven years in prison, or up to 10 for using one.”

Police recommend following the Reserve Bank’s look-feel-tilt test to distinguish the official security features of a legitimate banknote:

• When looking through the holographic window, the edges of the window should look smooth, and you should see the bird’s silhouette, a map of New Zealand and a 3D feature showing the value of the banknote.
• When you run a finger across the words “Reserve Bank of New Zealand Te Pūtea Matua”, you should be able to feel raised ink on the denomination and the letters at the top.
• When tilting the note, a bright shining bar should roll across the bird’s silhouette on the front and the holographic window’s colours should shift and change, revealing fine details.