A rash of phony bills of multiple denominations has police suspecting there may be a counterfeiting ring in Warren County.
“There are too many popping up for it to be a coincidence,” said McMinnville Police Lt. Nicole Mosley of the sudden influx of counterfeit bills “We’ve gotten quite a few in the past few weeks. Usually you will get one and then not see another for many months. Now, they’re popping up everywhere.”
Mosley said an unusual characteristic about the recent rash of counterfeit bills is there are many denominations being passed.
“We’re talking about $5s, $10s, $20s and $100s,” Mosley said. “We usually see just $20s and $100s. It’s much rarer to see the lower denominations being counterfeited and passed.”
Mosley said the lower denominations are much easier to pass since they do not command the attention $20s and $100s command at the cash register.
“No one checks the lower denominations so they pass on through,” said Mosley, adding counterfeiters will often wait until a store is busy to pass fake bills knowing they will not be as closely scrutinized.
The quality of the recent counterfeits are quite high, Mosley admits, noting it makes them harder to spot. There is also a rumor the special ink markers used to catch counterfeit bills are not working on some of these fakes.
“Something that merchants need to be careful of is not to use the pens to doodle or write on other things because it makes them less effective,” Mosley advised. “Use the pens only on bills.”
Those suspecting they have been given a counterfeit bill should report it immediately and not return it to the customer as some businesses have reportedly done.
“First off, make sure they pay you with good money and hold on to the bad and contact us,” Mosley said, noting if the money turns out to be good, it will be returned to the rightful owner by the U.S. Secret Service. “It’s important that people report counterfeits so we can look at serial numbers and for a pattern since we believe there is a local tie to all of this.”
Mosley said if a bill does not feel right, it’s always a good idea to go further by either using a special marker or by calling authorities. The downside of the issue is the person who is left holding the phony bill is also the one left holding the bag, meaning the last person to possess the money is out that amount.