The Chadron Police Department is warning businesses and the public to be on alert for counterfeit money after an attempt by someone to use a phony $50 bill to make a purchase from a local business.
Lt Rick Hickstein says the business did an amazing job of identifying the bill as fake and not accepting it, but also says the bill has some serious flaws.
Hickstein says while it was a realistic-looking bill, it had some major flaws – it was missing the normal security features and had the words “For Motion Picture Purpose” on the top right side.
Hickstein says the Chadron department reminds everyone to be careful with cash transactions and make sure the money is real – adding that law enforcement should be contacted if you think a bill might be counterfeit.
Some helpful hints on how to detect a counterfeit bill are below:
Use a counterfeit-detection pen Feel the texture of the paper, which is typically a lower quality paper Compare the bill with another of the same denomination and series and look for differences Look carefully at the printing quality or the lack of detail (dull, flat and blurry areas) on a fake bill Look for colored fibers in the paper. All U.S. bills have tine red and blue fibers embedded in the paper Examine the serial numbers, make sure they match and are evenly spaced and aligned Look for security features in all denominations except the $1 and $2; Security thread running from top to bottom Hold the bill up to a light to check for watermark Tilt the bill to check for color-shifting ink Use a magnifying glass to examine the micro-printing
