Hamilton police charge two teen boys in connection with counterfeit currency

Hamilton police have charged two teen boys in connection with at least 10 incidents involving counterfeit currency.

Officers say they began an investigation in December into a series of frauds involving counterfeit money used in Facebook Marketplace transactions.

They say victims had sold items through the marketplace and were paid with counterfeit Canadian currency.

Investigators say the suspects used fake Facebook accounts to arrange meetings with sellers at locations in Hamilton’s west end, and used counterfeit bank notes.

They say the victims were left unaware that the currency was fraudulent until after the sale.

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Detectives say that more than 10 incidents are linked to the same suspects, and victims have received in excess of $20,000 in counterfeit currency to date.

Police have charged one 15-year-old boy and one 14-year-old boy with offences related to fraud under $5,000, possessing and for using counterfeit money.

The identities of the accused are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and were not released.

Officers are reminding residents to take precautions when buying or selling items online.

They suggest meeting in well-lit, public locations, to examine all currency carefully, and to report any suspected counterfeit currency to police immediately.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-546-4526 or to reach out to Crime Stoppers to leave an anonymous tip at 1-800-222-8477.

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