Police have issued an urgent warning to Australians to beware of counterfeit banknotes circulating in southern Tasmania.
Counterfeit $100 notes have been found in Hobart and the neighbouring suburbs of Glenorchy and Bellerive.
Counterfeit banknotes have several key details that can be easily detected.
“Although people might not notice it at first glance, the banknotes have words like ‘this is not legal tender’ written on them, and the plastic element, normally transparent, is black and not transparent,” explained Inspector Klug Jason.
‘Please note that these bills are in circulation and verify that the cash you are handling is legitimate.’
The feel of a counterfeit bill can also be an indicator of whether it is real or not.
“When handling cash, it is necessary to check banknotes for inconsistencies such as this before accepting them as payment,” said Inspector Klug.
Fake $100 bills (pictured) are circulating in Hobart
Another way to spot counterfeit money is that it may be thicker or thinner than a genuine bill and look different when held up to a light source.
The Australian coat of arms appears near the top right of a real $100 note when held up to the light, and diamond-shaped patterns appear on both sides.
The “window” of a banknote must be transparent with patterns printed inside.
Money printed by scammers sometimes also has raised ink, which can be felt with a finger, unlike real money, which is completely smooth.
They have the words ‘this is not legal tender’ printed in small print at the bottom of the bill.
Real $100 bills have a clear “window” that reveals patterns when held up to light and do not have any writing on the bottom.
Businesses that have been given counterfeit money have been urged to provide all relevant evidence to police, including CCTV footage.
Anyone who has come across counterfeit bills should report it to the police or Crime Stoppers.