ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO—  In early April Niagara Regional Police Service became involved in an investigation surrounding the use of counterfeit money used in an online buy and sell platform. Detectives were able to identify and verify the suspect’s identification and his St. Catharines residence address.  A judicial authorization to enter that residence (search warrant) was granted.  On April 7, 2026, detectives executed the warrant and discovered over $8000 in suspected counterfeit Canadian currency along with materials consistent with the making of counterfeit currency. Law enforcement reporting a sharp increase in high-quality fakes, particularly for $50 and $100 denominations. In 2025, the number of seized counterfeit bills in Canada tripled compared to the previous year, reaching over 143,000. Canadian bank notes have historically been harder to counterfeit because of it's design but with better printing technology it has become easier to print.