Canadian retailers are facing a sharp rise in counterfeit currency as the holiday shopping rush intensifies, according to a new warning from the Retail Council of Canada.
The industry group reports a surge in fake $20, $50, and $100 bills circulating nationwide since November. The volume detected over a single month has already surpassed totals recorded across the entire previous year, raising serious concerns for merchants and frontline staff.
Michel Rochette, president of the Retail Council of Canada’s Quebec division, says criminal networks have taken counterfeiting to a new level. Advanced production methods now mimic security features with alarming precision.
“They are extremely credible; you can’t tell them apart from the real thing. The hologram is really well done. This means that, as we have been saying for a long time, we are facing increasingly structured and organized criminals,” Rochette says.
Retailers report growing difficulty identifying fraudulent notes during routine transactions, even when staff receive training in cash verification.
The spike aligns with the busiest retail period of the year. High transaction volumes and crowded stores reduce opportunities for careful inspection at checkout.
“It is no coincidence the increase is occurring in the weeks leading up to Christmas,” Rochette says. “Stores are very busy; it’s the most important time of the year. With so many people shopping at the same time, it’s more difficult to tell the difference and notice if something is wrong.”
Exact figures remain unclear. Rochette says reliable measurement proves difficult due to underreporting and delayed detection.
“Obviously, it’s not easy to quantify. But there really is an explosion of counterfeit bills, to the point where even the Quebec provincial police has put up posters in certain places warning people to be careful,” he says.
The Retail Council urges consumers and merchants to stay alert while pressing governments for stronger enforcement tools and funding.
“We are asking the federal and provincial governments to show some teeth,” Rochette said. “There is a real obligation to take this issue extremely seriously because anything that is left unaddressed will only get worse.”
Rochette welcomes new federal measures granting expanded powers to the RCMP to combat organized retail crime, while stressing urgent needs at provincial levels. National data shows theft and fraud losses reaching $9 billion each year, underscoring rising risks for Canadian businesses.
