A burst of fake money being presented to pubs, supermarkets and service stations in Palmerston North has police urging people to be aware.

In the past five days, police have been made aware of at least eight fake $50 notes being circulated in the area.

"We are asking the community to ensure they pay extra attention to any larger denomination notes they come into contact with," Constable Mark Reid said.

"People who work in jobs where they handle cash are also asked to take extra care. Anyone with information should contact local Police or anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

Advice for people when they suspect they are being given counterfeit money:

If you haven't accepted the banknote yet, politely refuse to accept it.

Under no circumstances should you take actions that may jeopardise your 
safety or that of others.

Please report to the police that someone potentially attempted to pass a counterfeit note.

If you are in possession of a suspect banknote, store the banknote safely and handle it as little as possible.

Note all relevant details such as date, time and place of receipt, car registration number and whether you have CCTV.

Please hand any suspect banknote to police as soon as possible and provide any details around how you came into possession of it.