Sask. man finds US$4,200 in counterfeit bills in his mailbox
Checking your mail is usually a pretty mundane activity. However, one Regina man got quite the surprise when an envelope full of thousands of dollars of counterfeit U.S. currency appeared in his mailbox.
In early April, Jesse Wiebe discovered a brown envelope marked “return to sender” in his mailbox.
Opening the mystery package revealed 14 sheets of uncut American $50 bills. In total, the package contained $4,200.
“Because it was so close to April Fools, I was wondering if someone was like trying to play a prank on me but that would be a pretty edgy and risky prank,” Wiebe told CTV News.
Following the discovery, Wiebe bought a counterfeit detecting pen and picked up a genuine U.S bill to compare the mystery notes to.
“[They] ended up being counterfeit. I dropped it off with the police yesterday and even then they said they'd seen nothing like this,” he said.
“It was really interesting.”
Wiebe said he has no idea why the address of his business, Wiebe’s Roofing Ltd., was used as the mailing address for the package and hopes the authorities will be able to figure why he was chosen.
However, he was sure to make one thing clear to officers when he handed the counterfeit cash over.
“When I dropped it off with them, I said, ‘Don't you guys dare check my browser history because now it looks like I've been I've been figuring out how to print counterfeit money because I've been looking into it so much,’” he chuckled.
According to Wiebe, the intended recipient of the package was located in New York’s Chinatown.
“I'm not sure what the business is. I looked it up on Google Maps, but it was it was all written in Chinese,” he explained.
Regina police told Wiebe that counterfeit bills would be sent to Canada’s Anti-Counterfeiting Bureau for investigation.
Wiebe reiterated that the quality of the forgery was alarmingly good. However, he was sure to highlight a fatal flaw in whatever plan ultimately led the cash to end up in his mailbox.
“It seems like a pretty intelligent thing, the way that they printed the money but not very intelligent in the way that they didn't have enough postage to get it to its destination,” he laughed.
Wiebe had a simple piece of advice to share for anyone else who may encounter this sort of bizarre experience.
“Don't try to spend it.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.