Last Updated
Vacations are expensive, but they’re even more costly if you fall victim to a scam during your vacation.
Criminals often prey on unsuspecting and trusting tourists, pulling off all kinds of scams, from selling fake tour tickets to offering vacation rentals that don’t exist.
A common one in many vacation destinations is distributing counterfeit money, and tourists are being warned to watch out for this scam in Cancun right now.
Reports Of Illegal Pesos In Cancun
According to recent reports, counterfeit money, specifically pesos, is currently circulating in Cancun.
According to authorities, the bills that are circulating are in higher denominations than in the past.
So far, they have found counterfeit 200, 500, and 1,000 peso bills, whereas last year, it was more common to see fake 50 peso bills.
The Extent Of The Problem
The issue of counterfeit bills isn’t only affecting Cancun but Chetumal as well.
Between the two destinations, which are a little over five hours from each other, there have been 19 cases of counterfeit peso bills reported.
In Mexico as a whole, between the months of January and September, more than 200,000 counterfeit bills have been discovered.
Where You’re Most Likely To Pick Up Counterfeit Money
The most common situation in which you might come across counterfeit bills in Cancun is when you’re making transactions that involve receiving multiple bills back.
Whether you’re making a large purchase at a store or exchanging money at a local exchange, it’s harder to notice counterfeit bills when they’re mixed in with multiple other bills.
In many cases, the individual you’re getting the bills back from won’t even know that they have been given counterfeit bills.
How To Tell A Real From A Fake Bill
The individuals who manufacture counterfeit bills are pretty good at what they do, so it’s difficult to tell between a real and a fake bill.
There are a few things that you can look at, though, that may reveal whether a peso bill is real or counterfeit.
The texture of the paper, the color-changing 3D thread, and the presence of the watermark, or lack thereof, are all things to pay attention to, according to authorities.
What To Do If You Receive A Fake Bill
Before we get into what to do if you receive a counterfeit bill, let’s talk about what you definitely don’t do if you think you’ve received one, and that’s trying to spend it.
The last thing you want is to find out it is really fake by trying to spend it.
Beyond that, there isn’t a ton you can do other than alert the cashier or individual who gave it to you that you think it’s counterfeit, and/or report it to authorities.
Consequences Of Using Counterfeit Money In Cancun
The consequences of using counterfeit money in Cancun are pretty severe and authorities don’t know if you tried to intentionally use counterfeit bills or not.
If caught and accused of a crime, it can come with up to a 12-year prison sentence.
This is not something you want to be faced with.
Using Other Forms Of Payment In Cancun
The good news is there are a couple of surefire ways to avoid getting and using counterfeit bills when visiting Cancun.
Both credit and debit cards, as well as American money, are widely accepted in the destination.
The issue is with peso bills, so rather than risk exchanging for pesos, you can have peace of mind by using other forms of payment when visiting the destination.
Plan Your Next Cancun Vacation:
Traveler Alert: Don’t Forget Travel Insurance For Your Next Trip!
Choose From Thousands of Cancun and Riviera Maya Hotels, Resorts and Hostels with Free Cancellation On Most Properties
↓ Join the community ↓
The Cancun Sun Community FB group has all the latest travel news, conversations and tourism Q&A’s for the Mexican Caribbean
Subscribe to our Latest Posts
Enter your email address to subscribe to The Cancun Sun’s latest breaking news affecting travelers, straight to your inbox.