counterfeit money

[bONES]

what is the deal with victims of counterfeit money?

I just went to buy myself some lunch and the guy behind the counter dunked my $10 bill into a cup of hot water. He then proceeded to tell me it was 100% counterfeit! How do I know he is correct? Is it against the law for me to try and spend it now, because according to this guy it's a copy? Can he legally keep my money (counterfeit money)? Should I have dunked my change in hot water?

dang!

[secondtube]

"Can he legally keep my money (counterfeit money)?"

i think so.

[bradm]

The dunking was bogus:

http://www.bank-banque-canada.ca/en/banknotes/pdf/debunking.pdf

Myth: Applying water, rubbing, and folding bank notes are ways to detect counterfeit bills.

Reality: These methods are not recommended because they are impractical and unreliable ways to check your money. These actions also cause unnecessary wear to the notes and reduce the effectiveness of the actual security features. Instead, check security features like the shiny metallic stripe and the ghost image (watermark). You can learn more about all bank note security features at bankofcanada.ca.

I'd first take the bill to a local bank branch, and ask them if they can validate it for you. Then, if it turns out to be valid, go back to the restaurant and ask to talk to a manager about it: first, they applied a test that falsely said a valid bill was counterfeit, and second, that test won't effectively find bills that are actually counterfeit.

For more info, go to

http://www.bank-banque-canada.ca/en/banknotes/counterfeit/index.html

Aloha,

Brad

[Schwa.]

He can definitely keep it, he's actually breaking the law if he gives it back.

I worked at the beer store and saw several couterfeit 10's in my day....I never once dunked them in water. Best way to tell is the black light or get your finger wet and rub the bill. if the paper starts to ball up and come off like regular paper its fake.

bummer.

HA, i post this and then brad beats me to the punch. regardless of what that thing says, rubbing works. try it on a real bill.

Edited September 18, 2007 by Guest

[phishtaper]

so, he told you it was fake AND he kept it? hmmmmmmmmm. im not a lawyer (thank god) but that doesnt seem kosher. i think at most, he can simply refuse to accept it. but, please someone correct me.

[Ms Zimmy]

If you knew that you had a counterfeit $20, would you spend it anyway or bring it to the bank and lose that $20, knowing that the bank will keep it and you lose out?

[MarcO]

on a related note, one thing I heard some time ago was that no store or business can refuse a demonination of Canadian currency without ceding the cost of the product. By which I refer to those signs, that say "no $50 or $100 bills accepted" that you see everywhere these days.

The premise here being that if I should go into say, a sub shop, and buy lunch and go to pay with a $50 bill and that place refuses to accept it, then therefore they are refusing to accept Canadian currency as payment (it is up to them to reveal it's authenticity, not the consumer). And following that, the sub is mine to take sans payment. Because, I offered them legal tender Canadian money for it, they refused to accept it, therefore the transaction is complete = I am not *stealing* the sub, I offered payment, they refused to accept it, the sub is mine. And so on.

Anyone heard more on this? It does seem to make sense if you think about it.

[SevenSeasJim]

I got a counterfeit $20 once from a ScotiaBank machine.

[Ms Zimmy]

I got a counterfeit $20 once from a ScotiaBank machine.

and what did you do?

[bradm]

on a related note, one thing I heard some time ago was that no store or business can refuse a demonination of Canadian currency without ceding the cost of the product. By which I refer to those signs, that say "no $50 or $100 bills accepted" that you see everywhere these days.

I doubt this very much. Again, from

http://www.bank-banque-canada.ca/en/banknotes/pdf/debunking.pdf

Myth: Refusing $50 and $100 notes is the best way to avoid getting stuck with a counterfeit bill.

Reality: The vast majority of counterfeit bills are $10s and $20s because counterfeiters expect that they won’t be checked, making them easier to pass. Posting signs saying you refuse higher bills may signal to counterfeiters that you have no bank-notechecking practice in place for any denomination, making you a potential target.

If what you heard were truly the case, I think that paragraph would have been worded differently.

Aloha,

Brad

[bONES]

the guy wanted to keep the money...I wouldn't let him.

I figured he could be shitting me and therefore stealing my cash!

[bradm]

the guy wanted to keep the money...I wouldn't let him.

I figured he could be shitting me and therefore stealing my cash!

That would have been my reaction, too. If pressed, I would have had the police called: if the bill is bogus, someone needs to file some paperwork about it, and if it's legit, he has no authority to take it.

Aloha,

Brad

[phishtaper]

how was lunch, by the way, starhead?

[phorbesie]

when i worked in a store (major chain owned by sobeys) we were told that if we were given a counterfeit note we had to keep it. then call the police (who i guess would want to interview where the person got it?)

[phishtaper]

did the bill look like this?

(the $10 bill isnt work friendly)

[SevenSeasJim]

I got a counterfeit $20 once from a ScotiaBank machine.

and what did you do?

I tried to use it a FutureShop and they said that it was fake. So I took it to a seedy variety store and bought a pack of gum with it.

[Douglas]

When I worked at McD's, 50 and 100's had to be checked by mgmt before being accepted. I remember a $50 bill that just didn't look right. I did all the tests I knew of but it came out clean...until I compared it with another 50 bill and it was slightly smaller. I gave the guy a free meal and gave him back the bill. I didn't try to keep the bill but I did tell him it was counterfeit (he was a regular customer) and that he should "get rid of it."

If banks can't catch them, why should I?