Counterfeit $20 U.S. bills were widely circulated in several parts of Chemainus Tuesday, involving at least three individuals and potentially more.
One person who hit the old Town Oak Street region alone caught the attention of employee Jodie Greis-Phillips after entering Vancouver Island Soap Factory/Kogi Naturals.
It turns out the individual had already been at several other neighbouring businesses before Greis-Phillips put out an alert through the Chemainus Shoutouts Facebook page.
“He came in, he grabbed a back-scratcher, they’re only $4.95,” said Greis-Phillips.
“He said, ‘oh, do you take U.S. currency? I said, ‘we can, but I can only do your change dollar for dollar. He had a wad of money in a paper clip.”
There was some sophistication in the bill reproduction, she noted, but poor quality on closer examination later.
“I didn’t feel it really good,” Greis-Phillips conceded.
READ MORE: Counterfeit bills being passed in Duncan too
The man hurriedly left the store after receiving his change when she consulted with business owners Darlene and Tony Newton.
“Darlene and Tony, they said, ‘this is counterfeit,’” added Greis-Phillips. “You can see how the cut was off and the feel of it. The condensation from the water bottle shows how the ink runs.”
Darlene Newton had a water bottle beside her and the water ran onto the bill, confirming their suspicions, but “we knew anyway,” she said. “We called the police right away.”
Greis-Phillips then went on a personal mission to warn everybody in the block, but it was too late. She discovered he’d already passed fake $20s at Thai Pinto, Impulse Electronics, Nic’s Cafe and even the Chemainus Health Care Auxiliary’s Thrift Shop.
“We were trying to make sure we warned everyone,” said Darlene Newton. “Jodie was good about it.”
Impulse Electronics provided visuals of the man on surveillance camera.
Greis-Phillips described him as Caucasian, middle aged in his 40s with slightly greying hair, medium build and on the short side. He was wearing a white cap at some locations, but not when he went into Kogi Naturals.
It was later discovered another couple was scamming businesses in the Willow Street area. The $20 U.S bills passed there all had the same serial number while the ones circulated on Oak Street all had different serial numbers.
The counterfeiters were also reported in the Crofton area and at Duncan shops the same day.