Recently, fake Australian banknotes have been turning up in Canberra, though local police say that you don’t exactly have to be an expert to divine these notes’ authenticity.
As shown in a warning posted to Facebook by ACT police, the notes have Chinese characters superimposed where the clear security window should be. In addition, the bills have no serial numbers or other security features that appear on genuine Australian currency.
“These notes in particular are easily detected as being fake from the briefest inspection, if you take the time to look at them,” police said.
Police believe that the banknotes are training notes used by Chinese banks so that employees can become familiar with foreign currencies. The Chinese characters superimposed on the notes read: “training notes,” “sample notes,” and “specially for training, not for circulation.”
The fake Australian banknotes with Chinese characters are similar to those found on a “suspicious” man last August in the South Australian town of Murray Bridge.
“These notes are clearly distinguishable as fakes, as they have obvious Chinese characters across the clear window and dotted lines across the denomination,” police said at the time. “However, in dark or busy places or with distracted customers, it is possible they could pass temporarily as genuine.”
Be vigilant, folks.
