Mounties are warning the public about funny money circulating in Chilliwack.

Police say they've received more than a dozen reports of counterfeit American money being passed in the last week.

Since Jan. 12, fake $20, $50 and $100 bills have surfaced at various local shops, including Cross Country Grocers in Rosedale, On the Way Store on Chilliwack Lake Road and M&M Meat Shop.

Police say the bills were printed on computer paper and are slightly larger than real American bills.

In one case, the suspect was described as being in his early 20s and possibly driving a grey European car similar to a BMW.

Police say there are a number of steps merchants can take to ensure they are getting real money:

- Feel the texture. Genuine currency has slightly raised ink that is produced in the intaglio printing process. You should be able to feel the texture of this ink, especially if you are holding a new dollar bill.

- Check for flatness or lack of detail (printing quality). Look for blurry areas, especially in fine details such as around the borders—real bills have clear, unbroken borders.

- Look for coloured red and blue tiny fibers embedded in the paper. Counterfeiters sometimes try to reproduce these by printing or drawing these fibers onto the paper, but closer inspection of counterfeit notes often reveals that the bibers they are printed on, rather than being part of the paper itself.

- Look at the serial numbers, as fake bills may have serial numbers that are not evenly spaced or that are not perfectly aligned in a row. If you have two bills with the same serial number then they are counterfeit.

- Look for security features in all denominations, except the $1 and $2.

Police say retailers should pay close attention to any American bills they receive and call the Chilliwack RCMP at 604-792-4611 if they suspect someone is attempting to pass fake money.