Warning after convincing fake $50 note found
A northern NSW petrol station has issued a warning to its customers after a near-perfect fake $50 note was used there over the weekend.
The Shell Chinderah Bay posted about the note on their Facebook page on Monday.
“Be wary as there are fake notes in circulation. We had one come through this weekend,” the post said.
The post notes many of the security features present on a legitimate $50 note have been replicated.
“Incredibly they have replicated the window and the seven point star on the bottom left of the window.
“The only thing they couldn’t replicate is the ultra violet serial number. It doesn’t light up under a blue light.”
Accompanying the post is a picture of the fake note and a real $50 bill, asking people to guess which one they think is the fake.
“It was not noticed at the counter and the only reason our assistant manager was later alerted, was due to the slightly brighter colour,” an updated post on Tuesday said.
“To clarify he did not pick up on the texture. He scrunched it up and a little of the ink came off and then tried the blue light.”
The business says they’ll be handing the note in to police as the matter becomes a federal investigation.
Chinderah is a town near Tweed Heads near the NSW-Queensland border.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has an online guide to help with detecting counterfeit currency.
It includes holding a note up to light to see the seven-pointed star and coat-of-arms, tilting the note to see features moving, and shining it under a UV light to see certain features light up.
