Due to patrons trying to short-change the performers with counterfeit money, the clubs have decided to print their own.
St Lucia Times reported that an investigation has revealed that people are printing counterfeit $2 (€2) bills on home printers and then paying the dancers with it, which means that it finds its way into general circulation. Detection of the fake money is difficult in the clubs, as there is poor lighting, and because they are small bills they are not scrutinised.
Other businesses are falling victim to the fake money, such as late night fast food vendors, and one man was paid $60 (€54) in small bills, and didn’t realise until he went to the bank. Acting Inspector Roland Cobbler, Public Relations Officer of the Royal Barbados Police Force, said he was aware of the reports but there was not any detail: “I have not seen any of these [smaller] bills myself but I have heard of persons receiving smaller notes that were counterfeit. It is something we have to look at holistically. Persons would normally try to counterfeit large bills but if you have thousands of small bills could be just as devastating.”
Cobbler also said that big businesses must be more observant, as it was not just big bills that needed scrutinising, and the onus on businesses was to invest in counterfeit detection equipment.
“Counterfeit money is a continuing occurrence and persons need to be mindful of the fact that persons will try to pass off counterfeit money as original money. Large businesses would of course have the money detectors to protect their business, but it is small vendors who are really left vulnerable. However it is in their [vendors] best interest to try and educate themselves with what to look for when it comes to counterfeit currency,” he added.
Some club managers are now making the patrons purchase club ‘dollars’ to pay the dancers with, and then the girls can cash in their tips at the end of the evening. The manager, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We did notice a few fake dollars getting into the girls’ money, so we print our own club dollars every night and the guys pay the girls with those and they redeem their money at bar. Not only that [but] it is cleaner too because you wouldn’t want to know some of the strange places that some of the guys and women too, want to stick these bills.”