Moruya police forwarded the notes to the Australian Federal Police and they were then sent to the Reserve Bank for further investigation.

Inspector Greg Flood of Batemans Bay Police said a Moruya business proprietor unknowingly presented the three $50 notes at the bank’s Moruya branch at 1.55pm.

“When the staff were going through the notes, they noticed the names of Edith Cowan and David Unaipon (the people depicted on the notes) weren’t there, and therefore they were possibly dodgy,” Inspector Flood said.

“They immediately reported it to Moruya Police, who collected the notes and have forwarded them to the Federal Police.”

He said that even though the names were not included on some notes produced before 2002, the police and the bank were not taking any chances.

Police posted the alert on social media after the notes were discovered.

Meanwhile, scammers pretending to be from the Australian Tax Office are targeting Eurobodalla residents by email.

An email is being circulated from the address “noreply@ato.gov.au” suggesting residents are owed a tax return, sometimes for several thousand dollars.

“After the last calculation of your fiscal activity we have determined that you are eligible to receive a refund of 3162.88 AUD,” a typical email to one Bay Post/Moruya Examiner reader said.

The reader was then asked to follow a series of instructions and download an attachment, suspected of being a virus.

Meanwhile, police are continuing investigations into the theft of 50 birds from Birdland Animal Park in Batemans Bay last week.

“We have followed leads including birds for sale on the internet but the theft is still unsolved,” Inspector Flood said.

“We want people to contact Batemans Bay Police (4472 0099) or Crime Stoppers (1800 333 000) with information because these birds don’t just disappear.”