Counterfeit $50 and $100 Singapore currency notes are being circulated and the police are warning the public about it.

Fake notes used to pay for things

This comes after the police received several reports between March and May 2019 of fake portrait series notes used to make payment at convenience stores, restaurants and retail outlets, the police said on Tuesday, June 11.

The portrait series, featuring first president Yusof Ishak, is the one currently in circulation and the fourth set of currency notes to be launched here.

The counterfeit $100 notes cases bear the serial number 3AX412083.

Those on the counterfeit $50 notes have these eight serial numbers: 0FF875629, 3DL273922, 4DZ985604, 5HS436415, 5LV797440, 5LP297324, 5CK878136 and 5JH230011.

Arrests have been made.

Men arrested

Three men, aged between 25 and 29, have since been arrested and charged for the alleged offences between May 25 and June 4.

The police said the fake notes lack security features such as a watermark and security thread.

They are believed to be photocopied reproductions.

How to tell if note is fake

When a note is held up to the light, the watermark can be seen as an image.

The security thread is interwoven in the note and runs vertically down.

The police said some of the fake notes have a simulated kinegram.

This is an octagonal reflective foil that is distinctively different from those on genuine notes.

The image on the kinegram on a genuine note shifts when the note is tilted.

The simulated kinegram on the counterfeit note does not.

The surface of the genuine notes have an "embossed feel", which the counterfeit notes lack.

What to do if you encounter counterfeit note

Those who believe they have received counterfeit currency notes should report it to the police.

If a suspected counterfeit note is presented during a transaction, it is advisable to delay the person who gave it and call the police immediately.

The suspect's gender, race, age, height, built, clothing, any tattoos, the language or dialect spoken, and the vehicle the person is using, if any, as well as its registration number, should be noted.

The suspected counterfeit notes should be placed in a protective covering, such as an envelope, to prevent further tampering, before handing them to the police.

Penalty

Anyone convicted of using counterfeit currency notes can be jailed up to 20 years and pay a fine.

Those found guilty of possessing counterfeit currency notes my be jailed for up to 15 years.

Anyone with information on the recent cases can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000.

The public can also submit information online at http://www.police.gov.sg/iwitness

All information will be kept strictly confidential, police said.