Slowing down your cash transactions long enough to take notice might save you or your business a substantial amount of money and considerable grief to go along for the ride. Dowagiac Police have asked us to help make everyone aware of counterfeit/fake $100 bills that have been circulating in Southwest Michigan, some dating back to the beginning of the year.
Take a quick look at the c-note in the photo accompanying this story at Moody on the Market.com. At first blush it likely looks very realistic with all the right safety devices and even has the feel of a legitimate bill according to authorities. Look more closely, however, and it becomes readily evident that this is not real money.
Police say that the majority of the bills being passed in the area are marked, as you can see here, “For Motion Picture Use Only.” Dowagiac Police say that they have been called to at least half a dozen cases of counterfeit or fake money being passes since the start of the year.
The Dowagiac Police say they have investigated two separate incidents where the money has been used at local businesses. Additionally, they have taken several calls of personal items being sold between private citizens where this fake money was used. Authorities say they were also made aware of this money being passed at a location outside of the Dowagiac city limits.
Police are asking you to please be on the lookout and check all money being passed. If you encounter one of these bills please contact Dowagiac Police, or the department with jurisdiction, immediately.
Dowagiac Police are currently investigating these incidents and request anyone with information to contact the Dowagiac Police Department at (269) 782-9743, or the Cass County Tip Line at (800) 462-9328.
It should also be noted by anyone receiving more than one such bill in a transaction take note of the fact that the serial numbers are identical on all of the bills marked as motion picture money. Similar incidents have been recorded in Ellisville, Mississippi and New Bedford, Massachusetts in the past couple of months with identical bills.
The bill in Ellisville, Mississippi which has the same, identical serial number as the bills in Dowagiac, looks so real that Chief Bruce Russell told reporters there that it is one of the best counterfeits he’s ever seen.
The New Bedford incident turned up $50 bills with the same serial number.
Amazingly, Amazon.com is selling stacks of motion picture “prop money” fake bills with the same serial number followed by the word “copy.” Police might want to see who’s been buying the stuff online for any connections to these incidents.
