Days after an image of two legit-looking $50 was found bearing the same serial number started circulating online, the police have since promptly arrested the man behind the counterfeit cash.
The counterfeit $50 notes were apparently being used in Hougang, all with the same series of serial numbers — and if no one had put them together, it would have gone unnoticed. It is a $50 note after all; folks are happy enough to have them in their wallets, much less check its authenticity.
It was on the morning of May 26 that the police first received a report about the fake notes being used as payments at a convenience store in the vicinity of Hougang Street 91. Ground investigations were carried out, and the suspect was quickly identified to be a 52-year-old man, who pretty much got arrested that same afternoon in Hougang.
A printer, a bag and several pieces of counterfeit $50 notes from him. According to the police, the fake notes are believed to be photocopied reproductions, lacking the embossed feel and security features such as a watermark and security thread. The image on the counterfeit’s octagonal reflective foil don’t shift when tilted.
To date, the counterfeit notes in the cases reported bear the following four serial numbers: 5DC995967; 4KT595133; 4AX921719 and 4LB831932.
Information on how to identify genuine local currency is available on the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s website.
