Counterfeit Bills on the Rise
By: Meagan Fitzgerald
Updated: November 12, 2009
Monroe police say they've arrested at least 5 people in the past 2 months who have spent counterfeit money.
The most recent arrest was 40 year old Andy Fleming of Monroe. Police say he tried to use a fake 20 dollar bill to buy gas and other items.
Monroe Police Detective Thomas Staten said, "It comes in spurts, some months it's really dead the some months like the holidays we see alot of it come in town."
So detective Thomas Staten says make sure you know what to look for.
Staten said, "Real money has a distinct feel, it's almost like a cloth feel, the counterfeit money is really papery, waxy feel."
You can also check your money by holding it up to the light.
Staten said, "Check for the strip on the side right here and look at the mans face it will be right here and also this ink spot shouldn't move."
And Staten says another way you can tell to see if you have a counterfeit note or not is by simply flipping the note over. A real 20 it will be right side up, but on a fake 20 it could be upside down. But, the question now is, do people even know the difference?
Stacey Marble said, "This one's real this is fake"
So, Marble was partially correct.
Robin Hitt said, "This one's real, this one's fake."
How could she tell?
Hitt said, "It's from the coloring."
And she's right, but Hitt also admitted if she was taking money from a customer and didn't take the time to check, she could have been fooled.
Staten said, "You may be an innocent person, we don't want to arrest any innocent people, but if you spend some counterfeit money at one store the you go across the river and spend some money again that gives us reason to think you knew what you were doing."
Monroe Police Detective Thomas Staten said, "It comes in spurts, some months it's really dead the some months like the holidays we see alot of it come in town."
So detective Thomas Staten says make sure you know what to look for.
Staten said, "Real money has a distinct feel, it's almost like a cloth feel, the counterfeit money is really papery, waxy feel."
You can also check your money by holding it up to the light.
Staten said, "Check for the strip on the side right here and look at the mans face it will be right here and also this ink spot shouldn't move."
And Staten says another way you can tell to see if you have a counterfeit note or not is by simply flipping the note over. A real 20 it will be right side up, but on a fake 20 it could be upside down. But, the question now is, do people even know the difference?
Stacey Marble said, "This one's real this is fake"
So, Marble was partially correct.
Robin Hitt said, "This one's real, this one's fake."
How could she tell?
Hitt said, "It's from the coloring."
And she's right, but Hitt also admitted if she was taking money from a customer and didn't take the time to check, she could have been fooled.
Staten said, "You may be an innocent person, we don't want to arrest any innocent people, but if you spend some counterfeit money at one store the you go across the river and spend some money again that gives us reason to think you knew what you were doing."
