(Trinidad Express) Small business owners are being asked to be wary of counterfeit $100 notes.
Speaking with the Express on Sunday, president of the Arima Business Association Reval Chattergoon said, earlier in the day, at one gas station in Curepe, there were 12 attempts to use fraudulent notes.
He said merchants at the service station were able to identify the fake notes and turned away the people who tried to use them.
This was not a unique situation.
He recalled that a similar incident was reported at a gas station in Arima, as well as at supermarkets along the East-West Corridor, according to information he received.
“In my 20 years and more in the gas industry, as a merchant, I’ve never seen so many repeated attempts to exchange these fake bills as I did today. So given what happened, I just wanted small business owners to be wary with transactions involving $100 notes.
“With the timeline given by the government to complete the $100 changeover, counterfeiters are also trying to cash in. They have their stocks that they would need to get rid of over a short period and they will be making attempts at small businesses and what they perceive as easy targets to get rid of these bills. And they will take any opportunity to get rid of it anywhere. So taxi-drivers, vendors, everyone, please be vigilant,” Chattergoon said.
