Police today warned residents to be on the look out for counterfeit $50 Bermuda notes after a number were found in circulation.

Businesses in particular were advised to be vigilant, as criminals are likely to target busy stores.

“With the holiday season fast approaching, businesses are asked to remind their staff to be especially vigilant when accepting larger denominations, in particular the old style Bermuda notes,” a Police spokesman said.

“Often these counterfeit Bermuda $50 notes are being tendered to pay for lower-priced items and/or services. Usually the criminals look to target vendors who are busy and may be under pressure to serve quickly, reducing the chances that a fraudulent transaction will be detected.”

Staff should hold onto counterfeit cash, take note of the person who handed it to them and contact police immediately, the spokesman advised.

“The public is similarly encouraged to remain vigilant regarding counterfeit currency. To distinguish a genuine Bermuda note from a counterfeit one, look for the tuna fish watermark (to the left of the note), the metallic security thread (just right of the tuna fish watermark) and the silver ship (to the right of the note). Also, examine the paper quality and check to see if the serial numbers on two notes are the same, as all genuine currency has individual serial numbers.

“Any suspicious circumstances regarding counterfeit currency should be reported directly to the main police telephone number 295-0011 or via the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers hotline, 800-8477.”

Passing, possessing, making or reproducing counterfeit currency is a criminal offence and punishable by up to five years in prison, the spokesman added.