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After receiving a couple reports of counterfeit $100 bills being circulated, authorities are reminding the public to be wary of potential fakes.
Two bogus Benjamins were reported in Powell last …
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After receiving a couple reports of counterfeit $100 bills being circulated, authorities are reminding the public to be wary of potential fakes.
Two bogus Benjamins were reported in Powell last week: one at the Family Dollar Store on Aug. 21 and another at First Bank on Aug. 23, said Powell Police Chief Roy Eckerdt.
On Tuesday, Eckerdt said the cases remained under investigation. Both of the bills were being sent to federal officials for analysis, he said, while officers were working to pin down a narrower timeframe for when the bills showed up.
While counterfeit currency passes through the area periodically, fake $20 bills “are much more common than $100s, just because they raise less attention,” Eckerdt said.
He added that, “It’s not uncommon, when we have counterfeit bills, that it’s more than one.”
On Monday and Tuesday, Cody police received reports that fake $100 bills had been passed at a Maverik convenience store and a Verizon dealer, respectively; the bills apparently displayed different colors when checked with an anti-counterfeiting pen, said Cody Police Chief Jason Stafford. However, after the currency was put through a bank’s counterfeit machine, they were determined to be real, Stafford said.
“They’re legitimate bills,” he said.
When businesses are unsure about the legitimacy of a bill, Stafford says the department typically recommends taking it to a bank for a check. On its Facebook page Monday, the department referenced receiving “several reports” of counterfeit $100s and shared some tips for spotting fakes. They include feeling the paper for a slightly rough texture, holding it up to the light to look for a security thread, spotting color-shifting ink on the front and examining the details.
“If you suspect that you have received counterfeit money, do not accept it or pass it on to someone else. Report it to the police immediately and keep a record of where and when you got it,” the department advised.
For more detailed information on counterfeit currency from the U.S. Secret Service, visit tinyurl.com/know-your-cash.
