Funny money no laughing matter
On the same day last week, the same story happened at two businesses: Rainbow Mart #3 and Guy’s Liquor, store managers said. A customer handed a wadded $100 bill to the cashier. After marking it, the cashier noticed it was counterfeit and called police before accepting the transaction.
But not all businesses have been as fortunate; the past few months some local merchants have been the victim of $100 counterfeit transactions. The El Dorado Police Department is investigating this trend and encouraging others to be alert when handling money, officials said.
In the past 4-5 months, the police department has received calls from businesses and locals regarding counterfeit $100 bills with the marked phrase: “For Motion Picture Use Only.”
“We’ve probably taken 10 of them from various businesses around the city,” said Capt. Kevin Holt, public information officer for the El Dorado Police Department.
Lately there have been two counterfeit $100 denominations found by police, one resembling the 2003A series and the other resembling a 2013A series bill.
At first glance, the handler wouldn’t notice a difference but there are “all kinds of clues to show how one bill looks fake and one doesn’t,” Holt said.
The largest distinction is that at the top right half of the fake bills are the words: “For Motion Picture Use Only.” At closer inspection, the words can be found on other parts of the bills: the top left corner, the green seal on the right, the dark seal on the left, and the top back side. Also, Benjamin Franklin’s face is askew, the Federal Reserve note is gone, the secretary and treasurer titles are condensed and on the back, Independence Hall is altered.
“If you look on the back side of the newer bill, the top part of the building is chopped off,” Holt said.
Other forms of counterfeit $100 bills have also been spotted in El Dorado.
About a year ago a customer handed a cashier a $100 bill that looked convincing, except for the pink Chinese markings on the front left side, which employees have taped onto a cigarette sign as a reminder, said Winston Steward, store manager at Rainbow Mart #3, 1125 Mount Holly Road.
Feb. 24, a customer tried to use a counterfeit $100 bill at the store and failed.
“So far, we’ve caught ‘em,” Steward said. “But, it’s only going to get worse.”
Two weeks ago, an elderly woman unknowingly handed a counterfeit $100 bill to the cashier at the Tobacco Superstore #56, 818 W. Hillsboro St., said Manager Keylee Anderson.
“And that’s a sad circumstance. You could tell she
was embarrassed,” Anderson said. “But we’ve learned every detecting trick in the book and we mark everything.”
Some businesses aren’t as lucky.
At La Bella’s, three counterfeit bills — one $20 and two $100 bills — passed through the store in the past couple of months, said Jim Robinson, owner of La Bella Gourmet Gifts & Delicatessen.
“When you handle enough money, you know what it’s supposed to feel like,” Robinson said. “And one bill got overlooked and another passed the counterfeit detector.”
These businesses send their money to the bank daily and if the employees don’t catch the fake bills, the bank will verify — and there’s no restitution.
“We just hope people in the industry will take an extra look at the bills before taking them in,” Holt said.
Anyone with information regarding counterfeit bills can contact the El Dorado Police Department at 870881-4800.