Please attribute the following to Sergeant Nigel Hurley:
Police receiving reports of counterfeit $50 and $100 banknotes are urging the public to be vigilant when handling cash.
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.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand recommends the 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 3-D 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.
Anyone who finds a counterfeit note should report it to Police as soon as possible.
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.
