Police are warning retailers, bar and nightclub workers to spend an extra moment to examine the Bermuda bills their punters give them to ward off currency counterfeiters.

Sgt. Dave Geraghty of the Commercial Crime and Fraud Unit said yesterday the problem of counterfeit currency was on the increase.

"The Bermuda Police Service wishes to bring to the attention of the public a recent increase in the production and uttering of counterfeit currency," Sgt. Geraghty said.

Sgt. Geraghty asked people who handle money for a living, especially in high traffic areas with low lighting to "take basic precautions", such as feeling the paper on which the bill is printed and its weight.

"I have yet to see a (fake) Bermuda banknote that could not be detected with the minimum detection," he said.

He showed the press panel a US $100 which was professionally forged.

"This is a very good production. Many places in the States create these so we don't expect most people to be able to tell the difference. But what we are talking mainly about today is Bermuda currency. Here is one we received today," he said picking up a photocopied blurry fake of a Bermuda $20 bill.

"On closer inspection, it is not the right size, it is cut at an angle, it feels like cardboard and is two photocopies glued back to back."

In addition to the shoddy workmanship, two obvious monetary signs were missing ? the watermark and the silver strip, which can't be produced without a great deal of effort, he said.

Worse of all, if any business puts these in their till and tries to put them in the bank, they will not be accepted.

"Any place accepting these notes who then gives them to the bank will lose out," he said.

And it is illegal to possess fake currency unless you are about to hand it in to Police, he said.

"It is taken very seriously," he said. "You can be taken to Supreme Court and imprisoned."

A pamphlet on the security features of Bermuda currency can be picked up at the Bermuda Monetary Authority.

Sgt. Geraghty pointed out that the public was still being illegally solicited for cash via faxes, e-mails and letters.

He said the "Nigerian scam fraud letters were still being sent on a regular basis".

"Please do not send personal details over the internet and do not give your bank account number to those you don't know."

He also said not to accept any prizes for contests you never entered.

"Like the old adage says," he said. "If it is too good to be true, it probably is".