Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Ian Foster:

Police are urging members of the public and retailers to be cautious when accepting bank notes, with a number of counterfeit notes in circulation within Waikato and the surrounding regions.

Last night a man was arrested following a burglary on River Road, Claudelands, and Police found him to be in possession of a counterfeit bank note.

Police responded to a burglary in process at a River Road residential address around 8:15pm.

The man had left the address prior to Police arrival, however was quickly located with an allegedly stolen laptop bag in his possession around a block away from the address.

Upon a further search a counterfeit bank note was also located.

The 38-year-old man is due to appear in the Hamilton District Court today on a charge of burglary and one charge of possessing a forged bank note.

On Monday 9 September a 33-year-old man was arrested for allegedly using counterfeit notes to purchase items from a number of stores in the Waikato area.

Police also located and seized multiple counterfeit notes which were in his possession.

He has been remanded in custody due to reappear in the Hamilton District Court 2 October, including obtains by deception and five charges of possessing a forged bank note

The quality of the notes located differ, with a number managing to pass the tear test. The most noticeable fault is often with the see-through hologram image which is often rudely cut or non-existent.

To avoid falling victim to fake cash, we are asking retailers and the public to boost their knowledge around banknote security and report any fraudulent notes they come across.

When accepting cash, retailers are advised to take a “look, feel and tilt” approach to identify a genuine banknote.

Information on this can be found on the Reserve Bank website here: How to spot a fake banknote or coin - Reserve Bank of New Zealand - Te Pūtea Matua (rbnz.govt.nz) If you believe someone is trying to pass you a counterfeit note, do not accept it.

If you find you’ve already received a counterfeit note, put it in an envelope to avoid handling it further and get in touch with Police.

You can report information to Police online via https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 or by calling 105.

Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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