Winnipeg police warn of counterfeit cash marked 'prop money' after $12K seized

Winnipeg police are warning people about counterfeit Canadian bills in the city, after reports about fake cash in the first part of this year more than doubled compared to the same time in 2024.

Const. Keith Ladobruk said fraudulent bills are being found across Winnipeg, at businesses including restaurants and retail stores. 

"At first touch, these feel real," said Ladobruk, who works with the financial crimes unit, adding the counterfeits are often not identified until a business deposits them at a financial institution and someone there notices the fakes.

"You need to take that one or two seconds to look it over to see that it is a potential counterfeit."

Ladobruk said in the first quarter of last year, there were 30 counterfeit incidents reported to Winnipeg police. In the same period this year, that number was 67.

Const. Pat Saydak said police seized about $12,000 worth of counterfeit bills during that time. Most involved the same type of fakes, with the words "prop money" printed in reverse in small black print on top of the holographic strip on the back of the note, and the same words embedded holographically.

Saydak said the fraudulent bank notes are high-quality and replicate the look and feel of legitimate polymer bills, and even have some of the security features found in real bills.

The counterfeit bills seized by police had serial numbers GJR6710018 through GJR6710022 and were in denominations of $20, $50 and $100, he said.

Police said fake money is becoming more prevalent across Canada, though they believe it likely comes from outside the country — in part because similar notes have been seized by the Canada Border Services Agency in bulk quantities, Sgt. Trevor Thompson said.

While Thompson wouldn't say where police believe the fake bills found in Winnipeg came from, a recent case in Nova Scotia saw more than $100,000 of counterfeit Canadian money seized after authorities intercepted packages shipped to Canada from China.

He said because of how many packages come into Canada through shipping containers and other avenues, police believe the number of fake bills seized is small compared to what gets in.

Thompson said police have also "frequently" gotten reports from Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries about counterfeit bills, saying places like casinos where large amounts of money are passed are "going to see an increased number compared to a retail location."

Bills sold on Instagram, TikTok

Counterfeit money is now often advertised for sale on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok "under the guise that it's for movie making and film production," said Thompson.

Even if that was the case, there are laws and trademarks preventing producing anything in the likeness of a Canadian bank note, he said.

"These are not legitimate notes, regardless of what anybody is portraying them to be on social media," Thompson said. "If somebody wanted to make prop money, it could be made differently."

He said while people can be charged for both producing and knowingly passing on counterfeit money, the counterfeits police are encountering "are such high quality, there's a good chance that people that are passing them are not aware of [what] they're doing."

Thompson said police haven't seen counterfeiting issues at this level "in almost a generation" — and people may not notice the fakes because counterfeiting is no longer top of mind after Canada introduced harder-to-duplicate plastic money years ago.

Some also may not be familiar with exactly what Canadian money should look like, either because of the prevalence of cashless transactions or because they're new to the country, he said. 

'Not an easy fix'

He said while Winnipeg police have made arrests related to individual incidents, "we're not at that point yet where we can say, you know, we've identified … a cell or a group of individuals or organization that is actively importing them.

"The complexity and the volume of notes and the location where they're coming from, it's not an easy fix."

Saydak said there are a few things people can keep in mind to tell if bills they come across are real or fake, including a slight difference in colour between the two. 

Pictures on the counterfeit bills may also start to wear off, and the notes can become creased in the middle and appear more similar to a paper note. The fake bills' holographic strips can also be raised slightly off the note, instead of being flush and integrated with the rest of the bill, he said. 

Anyone concerned that bills they have may be counterfeit is encouraged to go to their financial institutions or consult the Bank of Canada's website.

But don't expect to get your fake bill swapped for a real one, Thompson said — "it has zero value."

Train staff, report counterfeit bills: CFIB

Tyler Slobogian, a senior policy analyst for the Prairies and the North with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said the increase in reports of counterfeit money in Winnipeg represents just one part of how difficult it is to be a business owner amid rising concerns over retail crime.

"Not only are you worried about your safety and the safety of your customers, but you have to deal with, you know, fraudulent activities that happen at the cash register as well," Slobogian said in an interview.

The federation hasn't heard much from businesses directly on the issue of counterfeit money, but has seen some take steps such as limiting high-cash transactions and putting up signs indicating they won't accept large-denomination bills.

His advocacy organization also encourages businesses to train their staff on how to spot fake cash — and report it when they see it.

"At the end of the day, businesses need to report these types of crimes, whether they think it might make a difference or not," Slobogian said.

"When law enforcement is aware, they can do their jobs and get to the bottom of it and find out where it's coming from."