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
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.