Tonga National Reserve Bank has issued a warning about bogus bank notes being circulated in Tongatapu.
The national bank said it received $20 paʻanga notes with fake new design of ‘King Tupou VI banknote series’.
It said the counterfeit banknote did not carry the watermark of the “King’s effigy with a lighter text reading NRBT” in which it should be “visible when the banknote is held up to the light, a security thread embedded in the banknote; and the ultraviolet fluorescent – showing the denomination of the banknote on the front of the note”.
“The Reserve Bank is concerned that there could be more of such $20 pa’anga counterfeit banknote circulating around”, a statement said.
“The public is hereby advised to check all banknotes particularly the $20 pa’anga new designed banknote before accepting them”.
The bank warned that fake paʻanga note has no value and urged public “to report any counterfeit banknotes to the Reserve Bank. Makers and distributors of counterfeits are breaching Section 59 and 61 of the Criminal Offences Act 1988”.