This section features videos, training materials and legal tools to help police officers and Crown prosecutors learn about Canadian bank notes and counterfeiting offences.
These materials will help you assess suspected counterfeits and assist in your investigations. Prevention and deterrence efforts are essential in the fight against counterfeiting.
Police investigations of counterfeiting operations—on any scale—have a direct impact on halting this crime. Your actions prevent others from becoming victims, help to stop other criminal activity that is funded by counterfeiting and contribute to bringing counterfeiters to justice.
A look at the security and design of the new $20 polymer bank note that features the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France.
Look at the innovative security features and design of the new $100 polymer note.
Also available as .mp4 (24 MB) and .wmv (36 MB)
Part 1: This is the first in a five-part series that looks at each step in the life cycle of a bank note. A new video will be posted each month until November.
Part 2: The process of developing a new series of bank notes doesn’t happen in isolation. Find out how Canadians have a say in selecting the designs that make our bank notes uniquely Canadian.
Part 3: It’s not a simple matter of starting the presses. With the introduction of longer-lasting polymer bank notes, the Bank of Canada is raising the bar on security and production quality. It’s also about meeting the demand for bank notes.
Part 4: The Bank works with Canada’s financial institutions to maintain Canada’s supply of bank notes. Find out how your money flows from the printers all the way to your wallet.
Part 5: It’s a long way off, but our polymer notes will eventually become worn and need to be destroyed and replaced. Even as the first polymer notes enter circulation, the Bank is already looking ahead to the end of their life cycle and it’s a ‘green news story.’
Host Monique offers a quick overview of the Bank's currency role in this excerpt from the corporate video, "Count on Us", which explores all of the Bank of Canada's functions.
Most fraud can be easily prevented with some simple know-how. The Fighting Fraud on the Front Lines video series provides easy-to-follow advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of bank note counterfeiting, debit card fraud, identity crime and cheque fraud. These materials will be of special interest to retailers, financial institutions and police officers.
Canadian bank notes have security features that are easy to check and hard to counterfeit. This video helps you verify bank notes, and informs cash handlers how to deal with suspicious notes.
Debit card fraud costs millions of dollars every year. It’s a threat that can hit anywhere. Consumers and retailers have an important role to play in reducing debit card fraud, and this video provides useful tips and advice.
Identity theft which is happening more and more frequently, is carried out in stores and banks, over the phone, and through the mail and the Internet. It’s a huge problem, with billions of dollars in losses every year. This video explains what you can do to minimize the risks.
Even with all our electronic payment options, cheques are still used for billions of payments every year. This makes them very attractive to fraudsters. The basic pointers in this video are all you need to avoid becoming a victim of cheque fraud.
Canada’s new bank notes are at the forefront in terms of security and will bolster police efforts to preserve Canada’s economic integrity through effective counterfeit deterrence.
Our training materials can be used to:
The Bank of Canada offers free, postage-paid materials, but reserves the right to limit quantities.
The Bank may contact the requestor prior to shipping to verify that certain audience-specific resources are destined for the right users.
To help build a case to be brought before the courts, the Bank offers trial materials, as well as resources on sentencing and information on precedents.
Counterfeit Canadian Bank Notes, by Professor Patrick Healy, McGill University
Prosecuting Counterfeit Bank Note Offences, Department of Justice
Laboratory Report and Certificate of Examination (RCMP laboratory)
Notice of Intent to Produce Certificate of Examiner of Counterfeit
Legislative History for Victim Impact Statements
Counterfeiting Offences—Sentencing Considerations for Prosecutors
Sentencing for Fraud Over $5,000 Offences
Sentencing for Counterfeit Money Offences
Summary table of sentences for counterfeiting cases 2011-12