Several areas in the Interior have experienced a spike in counterfeit currency passed or attempted to be passed lately.

RCMP have received 23 complaints of counterfeit money since July 26 in the communities of Kamloops, Oliver, Osoyoos, Okanagan Falls, Penticton, West Kelowna, Lake Country and Salmon Arm.

It is unknown how many of these incidents, involving Canadian $20, $50 and $100 bills between the years of 2001 to 2006, have taken place in Kamloops.

The security features to check to avoid counterfeit include: the watermark, the security thread, the overall print quality, the metallic or holographic strip and the puzzle number or see-through number.

“The typical modus operandi is for the passer to make an inexpensive purchase and pay with a large denomination, in turn receiving a large percentage of change back in authentic currency, leaving the bogus bill in the till. Feel, look and flip the bank note to check the security features,” said RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.

For more information on counterfeit prevention, visit the Bank of Canada website at http://www.bankofcanada.ca/banknotes/counterfeit-prevention/.