Shop owners are being urged to be on the lookout for fake $50 bills after two businesses in the area received counterfeit notes in the past fortnight.

Police have asked anyone coming into contact with suspicious notes to handle them as little as possible and store the bills in an envelope.

They should note down identifying features such as personal descriptions and vehicles used by the person who used them, before notifying police as quickly as possible.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers or local police on (02) 4824 0799.

Banknotes in Australia have a range of security features that can be used to check if they are genuine.

For more information about security features or what to do with fake banknotes, visit www.banknotes.rba.gov.au.