There have been more incidents of counterfeit money seized by the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service in the first five months of this year than all of 2025, a police spokesperson says.
Sault police officers have seized at least 46 counterfeit bills so far this year.
Those bills were seized from 26 different incidents, said Lincoln Louttit, manager of corporate communications for the Sault Police Service.
“This appears to be an increasing concern in our community, as the 26 reported counterfeit currency incidents in 2026, through the end of May, is nearly equal to the 25 reported during all of 2025,” said Louttit in an email.
He said the most common denomination found is $100 bills, followed by $20 bills with some $5 and $50 bills.
In 2023, a number of counterfeit two dollar coins were found in Sault Ste. Marie, but Louttit said that has not been the case this year.
“We have not received any information on counterfeit coins to date,” he said.
Louttit said the Sault Police encourages everyone to remain vigilant when accepting cash, whether as payment for goods or services or as change from a purchase.
He said some counterfeit bills may be hard to identify, but there are signs to watch for.
“Multiple bills may display the same serial number, printed images may appear misaligned or lack the sharp detail found on genuine currency, or the bill itself may feel different in texture or quality than authentic Canadian bank notes,” Louttit said.
Anyone who believes they have come into possession of a counterfeit bill is urged to contact the Sault Police on its non-emergency line at 705-949-6300.
“If you believe you have received counterfeit currency, do not attempt to pass it to someone else. Instead, safely retain the bill if possible and report the incident to your local police service. Any information about where or when the bill was received may assist investigators,” Louttit said.
The Bank of Canada also has a website that showcases the security features of Canadian bank notes.