The thing about scams

I've been cheated.

The Ol' Canadian Coin Switch Up strikes again.

Yes, being from the Midwest this has been a startling new discovery. It turns out that many Western New Yorkers are familiar with this scam.

A cashier hands you some change, and you, the trusting individual, simply eyeball the coins. You walk out of the bank, store, restaurant, gas station etc. none the wiser.

It isn't until you need that nickel or empty your pockets that you discover that what you thought was an American quarter is actually a Canadian quarter and what you thought was a shiny American nickel is actually a Canadian nickel. (The picture above is a mix of Canadian and American coins, can you tell the difference?)

At this point one's ethics comes into play: do you pass the coin forward and hope no one notices (as so unfortunately happened to you) or do you cut your losses and hold on to it for your next trip across the border?

I've opted for the latter, but it still kind of bugs me. It's pocket change I admit, but after some rather unscientific polling in line at the post office today, it sounds like banks, restaurants and other legit entities have been known to pass on the tender as fraudulent American money.

I would like to believe that it's all exchanged in error and that people are simply passing on the same mistake, but the buck has to stop somewhere. No pun intended.

No doubt the proximity to Canada brings the coins into circulation in America on a daily basis (and vice versa,) but the ones who lose out are those of us who aren't border hopping regularly .

I'm losing about 6 cents to the American dollar for every nickel and quarter of mine that turns into Canadian money and that's not even taking into consideration the very unlikely possibility that I'll use these coins in Canada any time soon.

So I'll be more vigilant, but you should too, Mr. ClerkWhoGivesMeCanadianMoneyinAmerica.

Besides, I really need those quarters for the laundromat and the washers and dryers CAN tell the difference.