The Grain Thai in Eastwood, Sydney, has raised the alarm of fake $50 bank notes circulating

Fake counterfeit $50 notes have reportedly been circulating in Sydney’s north west. 

The Grain Thai in Eastwood raised the alarm after it received the fake note on Sunday. 

Staff were too busy to notice the fake note at the time and only realised the counterfeit money while they were counting the restaurant’s closing balance at the end of the night. 

‘Hi everyone, last night we got a fake note from a customer. We were very busy so the waitress did not realised that it’s fake,’ an employee wrote on Facebook. 

‘We found out after closing the balance, it’s not a good fake but when we were busy we missed it…so we thought we should share it with you so the other restaurants will be aware.’

Included alongside the post was an image of the fake note which looked almost legitimate apart from one minor detail.

The clear window of the note appears to be blacked out with hand-drawn stars and is missing the value of the banknote denomination. 

The fake note almost looked legitimate a part from the blacked out window and hand-drawn stars (pictured)

NSW Police confirmed they were aware of reports a counterfeit note was given to a business in Eastwood and are conducting inquiries after seizing the fake bill.   

‘Police encourage business owners and their employees to be vigilant and to take extra care when accepting payments with cash notes,’ it said in a statement. 

‘They should familiarise themselves with all the security features of Australian currency.’

Genuine $50 first polymer series notes feature a a seven-pointed star and the Australian Coat of Arms as well as a clear window, which is part of the banknote. 

Edith Cowan, the first Australian woman to serve as a member in parliament, and David Unaipon, a renowned Indigenous author and inventor, are the two faces seen on the notes. 

In 2016 the Reserve Bank of Australia began releasing new bank notes with upgraded security features to reduce the capacity of counterfeiters to make copies.

Since the inception of the new bank notes the counterfeiting rate per million has more than halved.

Australia’s level of counterfeiting is low by international standards, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Anyone who has information regarding the production or purchasing of counterfeit notes is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.