[Update on Dec. 11: We've added the CIMB Bank response in this article.]

Singaporeans who enjoy the cheaper thrills in Johor Bahru take note.

While you might have heard of fake notes circulating in JB, Malaysia, here's another account from a fellow Singaporean to remind you to be more cautious with money when you are there.

Here's what happened.

Withdrew money from CIMB ATM

Lilian Tan, a 35-year-old Singaporean, was in JB on Dec. 7 when she withdrew a stack of RM50 notes from a CIMB ATM at Komtar JBCC shopping mall.

According to Tan, she withdrew a total of RM1,500, which was dispensed as a stack of RM50 notes.

Accused of giving fake notes at massage parlour in City Square

Later in the day, she proceeded to House of Javanese Massage at level two of City Square mall, where she is a regular customer, for a foot massage with another person.

Prior to the massage as per usual, she paid her bill for two people with two RM50 notes which she received from the ATM, and one RM10 note.

At this point, the receptionist did not alert Tan to anything unusual about the notes that she passed them.

After the massage

However, an hour later after she completed her massage, the receptionist approached her and claimed the two RM50 notes that she used earlier were fake, Tan said.

She checked the remaining RM50 notes in her wallet and said that they "looked authentic", but the ones which the receptionist identified as fake notes looked different.

The receptionist insisted that the fake notes were from Tan, saying that she was the last customer of the day and she remembered that they were from her, and asked for a change of notes.

As it was already past 10pm and Tan had to catch a train back to Singapore at 10:45pm, she obliged and did not manage to make a police report in JB.

Here are some photos of the alleged fake notes:

Puzzled but found similar reports online

Tan shared with Mothership that she was puzzled that the receptionist did not notice and reject her notes immediately when she received it.

She added that the alleged fake notes were stapled together when the receptionist passed to her after the massage.

Tan said that she later read about past online reports of CIMB ATM dispensing fake notes.

After the incident, Tan emailed CIMB bank, which is a Malaysian bank, about the incident and requested them to check the serial numbers on the two alleged fake notes that were returned to her at the massage parlour.

The other alternative explanation could be that Tan handed over authentic notes for payment, but they were swapped with fake ones.

On Dec. 10, CIMB Bank has responded to this incident with the following statement, assuring that the bank and its vendor adhere to stringent standard operating procedures to ensure that only genuine notes are supplied to its ATM Machines.

"We would like to clarify that CIMB Bank and its vendors are required to adhere to stringent SOP's to ensure that only genuine notes are supplied to its ATM machines region-wide. Our own investigation of CCTV footage of cash replenishment at the CIMB ATM at Komtar JBCC shopping mall revealed that every process was in place and adhered to."

Top photos courtesy of Lilian Tan

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