Macin Francis was happy to hold a wad of $50 bills in his hand after selling his motorcycle.
It marked the start of the 18-year-old’s savings to buy a more reliable car for the 45-minute journey from his home in Seaforth to his job as an apprentice hairdresser in Mackay.
“I needed this money because I wanted to buy parts to repair the car,” he said.
But his mother, Mel Francis, said the excitement soon turned to dismay after customers drove off on the dirt bike.
Mel Francis says while she was relieved the bike had been found, the whole experience left her shocked and saddened. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
While speaking to a friend, Mr Francis realized the entries totaling $2,850 were “wrong by millimetres”.
“He called me and I knew something was wrong,” Ms Francis said.
“As a mother, you immediately think they were in a car accident or something bad, but he says, ‘I don’t think the money they paid me is real money.’
Ms Francis said it was not immediately obvious that the roll of $50 notes were counterfeit until they were compared with genuine notes.
The Border Force has recorded a surge in higher quality counterfeits being imported into Australia. (ABC News: Shaun King)
When the notes were handed over to police, they told Francis it was “the closest thing to counterfeit money they had ever seen.”
“When the police told me it was fake, I just didn’t believe it and was speechless,”
– he said.
Most counterfeit banknotes are imported
Police said the fake 50-year-olds had been circulating in Mackay, the Whitsundays and the Darling Downs since February.
Officer in charge of Mackay-Whitsundays Police District, Superintendent Dean Kavanagh, said more counterfeit money was being imported into the region.
“Often it’s one or two $50 bills; typically you won’t see more than $3,000,” he said.
Dean Kavanagh says counterfeit notes are often found in much smaller quantities. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
To check the security features on banknotes:
- Climb into the light to see the seven-pointed star and Australian coat of arms.
- Tilt to see the bird’s wings move and change color and the number changes direction.
- Make sure the transparent window is part of the banknote.
- Tilt to see moving color effect.
- Use ultraviolet light to see the fluorescence of parts
In 2025, 9277 crimes in Queensland were classified as “other fraud”, including crimes involving counterfeit currency.
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) generally criticized the “poor quality” of the counterfeits, but warned they could “fail superficial scrutiny”.
Superintendent Kavanagh said the presence of counterfeit notes usually “comes in waves”.
“We won’t have counterfeit notes for a long period, but they won’t (print) one note.”
The RBA has warned that there is a rise in imports of counterfeit banknotes.
The bank said in a statement that most of the counterfeits discovered last year were produced overseas.
The company has previously warned that improvements in 3D printing technology are making it easier for counterfeiters to copy some security features of polymer banknotes.
It says texture is one of the best ways to check the authenticity of a banknote, as counterfeits often appear smoother.
Security features of authentic banknotes include hidden microtext and invisible ink that only appears under ultraviolet light. (ABC News)
The motorcycle has been restored
Police found the motorcycle on July 3 at a property in Armstrong Beach, south of Mackay, and charged the 48-year-old woman with possession of counterfeit money, fraud and possession of methylamphetamine.
They claim that a search of the property also uncovered two additional stolen vehicles and stated that “a small amount of counterfeit currency was discovered.”
Ms. Francis said the $450 fee to remove the motorcycle from the towing company’s yard was too high.
“We ended up paying because the longer they keep it in the warehouse, the higher the fee,” she said.
Macin Francis says that despite his experience, he will still use online marketplaces. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
“Obviously they don’t want us to know the address where the bike was, but (they could) give us the opportunity.”
Despite the difficult lesson in using online marketplaces, Mr Francis said he had already listed the boat for sale.
“I’ll definitely be a little careful and take the receipt and have them sign for it,” he said.