Hong Kong police sound warning over upgraded fake HK$1,000 banknote
Police say banknote's year of issue has been changed and fluorescent barcode is improved
An upgraded version of the fake 2003 HK$1,000 HSBC banknote has been seized, sparking fresh concerns about the circulation of counterfeit cash.
The fake, which was discovered by HSBC on Monday, incorporated two new features that were different from the previous batch of high-quality fakes, according to police.
The issue date of the new forgery had been changed from 2008 to 2009, according to chief inspector Cheng Ka-wai of the force's commercial crime bureau.
"It is possible that because a lot of shops have refused to accept HK$1,000 banknotes issued in 2008, culprits simply change the date to 2009 and pass them off as genuine," he said.
The new note also had an upgraded fluorescent barcode. Under ultraviolet light, the barcode found on the previous batch is dull, but the new one has a bright code.
"I can say this is quite similar to a genuine banknote's fluorescent barcode," Cheng said, adding that the inexperienced may fail to spot the fake security feature even if they have a genuine note on hand.
So far, only one such fake HK$1,000 bill has been seized and no arrests have been made. But the discovery prompted police to warn the public to be on guard.
