The Abbotsford Police Department says fraudsters are passing fake $20 bills at local businesses.​

Officers say the fake bills are computer-printed and have a clear plastic fake hologram taped to them.

"Businesses are likely to be targeted during busy periods or when less experienced staff is working," said a release from APD.

Police are asking people to look closely at the bills and watch for the following criteria:

Make sure the denomination in the hologram matches the denomination on the banknote; the hologram of the fake currency is blank.

Feel the bill: counterfeit currency is rough whereas the authentic polymer bill is smooth.

Ensure that the edges of the bill are straight and that it has the same dimensions as other bills; fake bills are often poorly cut and are not of uniform size.

Images on the bill should be crisp and well defined; the images on counterfeit bills are sometimes unclear.

For more information on how authentic Canadian currency should look visit the Bank of Canada web site.

<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Counterfeit?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Counterfeit</a> $20 bills circulating in the Fraser Valley- keep an eye out for the fake bills held together w taped clear plastic “hologram” panels into computer-printed “bills”. Bring to police agency or bank to confirm legitimacy. More details: <a href="https://t.co/6AdjctgZPh">https://t.co/6AdjctgZPh</a> <a href="https://t.co/ha1u4AqqBa">pic.twitter.com/ha1u4AqqBa</a> —@AbbyPoliceDept

No reimbursement

Police say that if a business suspects a $20 bill it is being offered is not legitimate, employees should refuse the bill, ask for a different one and advise the person offering it to have it checked at a bank or with police.

"When requesting an alternate bill, be polite; the person in possession of the bill could be an innocent victim who does not realize that the bill is counterfeit," said APD.

The force says only to ask for an alternative bill if doing so does not put an employee at risk.

However, once a fake bill is in the possession of a business, it is their responsibility to surrender it to the bank or police. Businesses surrendering counterfeit bills do not get reimbursed.

"The best defence against this type of fraud is vigilance at the time of the transaction," said police.