ਮੈਲਬੌਰਨ ਵਾਪਸ ਪਰਤਣ ਤੇ ਜਦ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂਨੇ ਡਿਊਟੀ ਫ੍ਰੀ ਦੁਕਾਨ ਵਿਚ ਖਰੀਦਾਰੀ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ $200 ਨਕਦ ਦਿੱਤੇ, ਤਾਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂਨੂੰ ਕਿਹਾ ਗਿਆ ਕਿ ਨੋਟ ਜਾਅਲੀ ਹੈ.
ਸ. ਸਕਸੈਨਾ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਉਹ ਬੜੇ ਸ਼ਰਮਸਾਰ ਹੋਏ, ਅਤੇ ਹੈਰਾਨ ਵੀ, ਕਿਓਂਕਿ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂਨੇ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਕੱਦੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਸੀ ਸੁਣਿਆ ਕਿ ਆਸਟ੍ਰੇਲੀਅਨ ਨੋਟਾਂ ਦੀ ਵੀ ਨਕਲ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ.
ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂਨੇ ਇੰਡੀਆ ਵਿਚ ਕਰੰਸੀ ਦਾ ਕੋਈ ਤਬਾਦਲਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਕੀਤਾ ਸੀ, ਸੋ ਸ਼ਰਤੀਆ ਇਹ ਨੋਟ ਓਹੀ ਸੀ ਜੋ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂਨੇ ਮੈਲਬੌਰਨ ਦੇ ਏ ਟੀ ਐਮ ਤੋਂ ਕੱਢਿਆ ਸੀ.
ਉਸ ਨੋਟ ਨੂੰ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂਨੇ ਬੈਂਕ ਦੇ ਹਵਾਲੇ ਕੀਤਾ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂਨੇ ਤਫਤੀਸ਼ ਲਈ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਰਿਜ਼ਰਵ ਬੈਂਕ ਆਫ ਆਸਟ੍ਰੇਲੀਆ ਨੂੰ ਭੇਜ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ.
ਇਸ ਇੰਟਰਵਿਊ ਰਾਂਹੀਂ ਸ. ਸਕਸੈਨਾ ਸਾਰਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਚੇਤਾਵਨੀ ਦੇਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ ਕਿ ਆਸਟ੍ਰੇਲੀਅਨ ਨੋਟ ਲੈਣ ਸਮੇ ਵੀ ਸਾਵਧਾਨੀ ਵਰਤੀ ਜਾਏ.
Long-time Melbourne resident Manmohan Singh Saxena had withdrawn $500 from the local ATM before departing for India, but when he tried to use the notes at the Duty Free store at Melbourne International Airport, he was told that one of the notes was fake.
"I was horrified and hugely embarrassed", Mr Saxena told SBS Punjabi. "I have a background in finance and accounting and couldn't believe that this was actually happening to me.
The incident happened in April this year as Mr Saxena returned from India after a month's holiday.
"I had withdrawn the money from an ATM of my local Westpac bank before leaving the country. I had 10 notes of $50 each and I know exactly where I used it," he said.
"I didn't exchange money in India or withdraw any currency while I was there."
"When I returned to Melbourne, I tried paying $200 cash at the duty-free store check out, but was completely taken aback when the lady told me that notes didn't seem right.
The note handed by Mr Saxena at Melbourne duty free shop, which wasn't accepted because it was considered to be fake Source: SBS Punjabi
"Initially, she returned all four of the $50 notes I had given her and I felt extremely embarrassed, a big queue had built up behind me and some people may have assumed that I was in the wrong.
"The lady showed the notes to other staff members and reluctantly accepted the cash when I exchanged one of the notes that looked frayed at the edges."
Mr Saxena told SBS Punjabi that he reported it to the Westpac branch where he had withdrawn the money and explained the situation.
The other side of the $50 note which was rejected as counterfeit Source: SBS Punjabi
"They logged my complaint and said that whilst they didn't directly handle the cash at the ATM, they would report this to the Reserve Bank of Australia."
It's now nearly a month since Mr Saxena reported it to the Bank.
"Neither has the money been reimbursed to me nor has the Reserve Bank given an explanation," he said.
"I know it's a very small amount, and it's not even a matter of reimbursement - I just want to know what happened, because this is Australia. I've never even heard of anything like this before.
"Generally speaking, we don't bother checking the notes when we withdraw at the ATM's in Australia or when we're handed back cash at shops -- unlike in India, where counterfeiting is quite common."
When SBS Punjabi examined the pictures of the note in question and compared it to the guidelines published by Reserve Bank of Australia, many of the security features seemed to be intact.
, the $50 note must be of plastic, must have the number 50 embossed on both sides of the clear plastic panel, must have a seven-pointed star (three green points are visible from one side of the note and four red ones from the other).
Security features of the $50 Australian note, as described by RBA Source: Reserve Bank of Australia
"It seems like a very good imitation", conceded Mr Saxena, agreeing that what was different from the usual notes was "that the printing had disappeared from sections of the note's edge."
"I guess, everyone should be aware that there are fake Australian notes in circulation, so everyone must be cautious."
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