Canadians like using cash. It’s fast, convenient, and discreet. Each year, demand for bank notes increases. In 2004, there were over 1.4 billion notes in circulation worth more than $40 billion. That’s about 45 bank notes for every person in Canada.

 It’s true that today’s computer technology creates opportunities for counterfeiters who want to take advantage of Canadians’ love of cash. But most fake notes can easily be recognized when you know what to look for. 

Making bank note security part of a loss prevention strategy

Counterfeiting is a crime that affects a business’s bottom line, just like credit and debit card fraud, and theft. But the solution is easy: including bank note security as part of your overall loss prevention strategy lets you reduce and possibly eliminate counterfeiting losses, and continue to meet the needs of your customers who prefer to use cash.

Bank note security involves knowing just two simple things: how to check that a bank note is real, and what to do if you suspect that a note is fake. Remember that counterfeiters will only try to slip you a fake note if they think they can get away with it. By making bank note checking a visible part of your business practice, you can deter counterfeiters, protect your bottom line, and reassure your customers that they won’t inadvertently be passed a counterfeit note in change.

Checking your bank notes: What to look for

Telling the difference between genuine and counterfeit bank notes is as simple as paying attention to what’s in your hands. Genuine notes look and feel different. It takes only seconds to distinguish a genuine note from a fake one. Here are a few quick and easy checks you can use to make sure you have the real thing.

 2001 Canadian Journey series ($20, $50, $100, upgraded $10)

 Holographic Stripe

 Tilt the note, and brightly coloured numbers (10, 20, 50 or 100) and maple leaves will “move” within the shiny, metallic stripe.  Colours will change through the various

shades of the rainbow.

 Watermark Portrait

Hold the note to the light and a small, ghost-like image of the portrait and a small number appears to the left of the large number.

Windowed Colour-Shifting Thread  

Hold the note to the light, and a continuous, solid line appears. From the back of the note, the thread resembles a series of exposed metallic dashes (windows) that shift from gold to green when the note is tilted.

 See-Through Number

Hold the note to the light and, just like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, the irregular marks on the front and back will form a complete and perfectly aligned number 10, 20, 50 or 100.

 UV feature:  Look for the text BANQUE DU CANADA 10 (20, 50 OR 100) BANK OF CANADA glowing in interlocking colours of yellow and red over the portrait. There are also fibres that glow yellow or red scattered randomly across both sides of the note.

2001 Canadian Journey series ($5, original $10)

Look to make sure the three maple leaves change from a faint image to a shiny gold colour as you tilt the note.

Check that the hidden numeral to the left of the portrait becomes visible when you hold the note at eye level and tilt it slightly.

UV feature: Watch for security fibres that glow red, as well as the Coat of Arms, denomination, and words “BANQUE DU CANADA BANK OF CANADA” that glow blue.

1986 Birds of Canada series ($20, $50, $100)

Watch that the colour change patch (top-left corner) shifts from gold to green as you tilt the note.

Check for small green circles (planchettes) scattered randomly on both sides of the note that may peel off if you scratch them.

UV feature: Check that the planchettes glow under UV light while the rest of the note remains dull.

All bank notes

Feel the raised ink on the portrait (particularly the shoulders), large number, and other areas of the bank note that are thicker to the touch.  

Look for fine-line detail in the face and hair of the portrait, and for concentric circles in the eyes.

What to do if you suspect a note is counterfeit

• Stop the transaction and request another note. Keep the suspected counterfeit if possible, but don’t put yourself at risk.

• Contact your supervisor, security officer, and/or the local police. If there is any threat to your personal safety, call 911.

• Record the details of how you received the note (time, number of notes, denominations, context, description of the individuals who gave you the note and any companions, licence plate number, etc.).

• Give the note only to police and request a receipt. If the note is genuine, it will be returned to you.

Free resources on bank note security

The Bank of Canada has free resources to help cash handlers learn about the security features in our money. For example, there are posters for the lunch room, quick-reference stickers and key rings for the cash register, and training videos. Bank of Canada staff can also give you tips on how to implement a staff training program.

For more information or to order materials, visit Bank of Canada, or call the Bank of Canada’s toll-free information line at 1-888-513-8212.