2 women arrested after fake money used at Hamilton restaurant

Two women from Hamilton have been arrested after they allegedly used fake money to pay for a meal at a local restaurant.

Shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday, police were called to a restaurant in the area of Barton St. East and Frederick Ave.

Police were told two women ate a meal at the establishment and then left counterfeit money on the table as their payment .

Staff spotted the fake bills and followed the women who had left the business and entered a taxi.

The vehicle was located a short time later and the women were arrested. Police say one of the them was wearing a disguise while inside the restaurant.

Heather Urban, 27, has been charged with food and lodging fraud, possess counterfeit money, and utter counterfeit money. A 23-year-old woman has also been charged with food and lodging fraud.

Hamilton police have offered the following tips to help identify counterfeit bills:

• Feel the bill. All Canadian and US currency is produced with raised ink on the shoulders of the portrait and elsewhere on the bill.
• Look at the bill. The finish on a genuine bill does not scrape off and the colour does not run when it gets wet. The holographic strip is embedded in the bill, not added as a sticker, and does not peel off.
• Tilt the bill from side to side. On polymer bills, the transparent window contains a metallic portrait that matches the larger one on the face of the bill and changes colour when tilted. The transparent window also contains small numbers that match the value of the bill.
• On older bills, the holographic strip contains maple leaves that change colour when the bill is tilted. This strip also contains small numbers that match the value of the bill.
• The dollar value is hidden in the frosted maple leaf in the corner.

If you suspect a bill is counterfeit, police say to politely refuse to accept the note. Advise the person to check the note with their bank and inform police of a possible attempt to pass suspected counterfeit money. Call 911 if the transaction is in progress or 905-546-4925 to report bills you believe are counterfeit.