Counterfeit bills circulating in area, Andover authorities warn
Counterfeit cash is circulating in Andover.
The Andover Chamber of Commerce is asking businesses to watch for fake bills after receiving word from the police department that some are being used in the area, according to an e-mail sent Monday by chamber president Becky Wolfe.
Since November, the agency has received four reports involving counterfeit money, police Lt. Daimon Cundiff said.
Typically, fake bills aren’t that common in Andover. But lately, he said, “We’ve seen a little bit of an uptick.”
So far, the problem bills have been $20s and $50s. They’ve surfaced at a fast-food restaurant, a convenience store and a retail store, Cundiff said.
Usually the perpetrator tries to buy something inexpensive with a higher-denomination bill and then gets not only the item but also real bills in change.
“That’s really where they’re making their money,” Cundiff said.
One person has been arrested in connection with fake cash that was passed in the area late last year, he said. “The investigation is still very active.”
The phony cash in Andover may be harder than usual to detect because the counterfeiters reportedly used real currency paper to create it, according to Wolfe’s e-mail.
For information about counterfeiting and security measures to avoid it, go to www.uscurrency.gov or www.secretservice.gov.
Amy Renee Leiker: 316-268-6644, @amyreneeleiker
How to spot a fake bill
▪ Security strips. Newer-style bills are laced with security threads that can be seen under a light source, so hold your cash up so the sunlight or overhead lighting can shine through. The thread is inscribed with the amount of the note. If you don’t see it or the microscopic inscription doesn’t match the bill amount, it’s probably counterfeit.
▪ Watermarks. While you’re holding the bill above your head, check for the watermark in the lower right-hand corner. It will be an image of the president who’s on the face of the bill. Not there? Probably fake.
▪ Ink. Newer cash also features color-shifting ink that shimmers and changes when you tilt the bill. Look for the special ink on the numerals printed in the lower right-hand corner. Hundreds shift from green to black. Fifties, 20s and 10s go from copper to green. The ink on $5 notes doesn’t change.
▪ Serial numbers. Real bills carry serial numbers, and the first letter in them will correspond with the series year of the currency, according to the “Know Your Money” pamphlet from the U.S. Secret Service. On 1996-style bills, A equals 1996, B equals 1999, C equals 2001, D and F equal 2003, and H equals 2006. On 2004-style bills, E and G equal 2004, I equals 2006, and J and L equal 2009.
▪ Paper. Pay attention to how the bill feels between your fingers. Currency paper is 25 percent linen, 75 cotton and has red and blue fibers randomly embedded throughout, according to the pamphlet. Counterfeit bills often are printed on different paper.
▪ Other features. 2004-style 100s also have a blue ribbon with bells and “100s” woven into the paper and a color-shifting inkwell with a bell inside. If you tilt a $100 bill back and forth or up and down, the bells and numbers in the ribbon move. Also, bills designed before 1990 don’t contain security threads or microprinting features.
This story was originally published January 9, 2017 at 8:27 PM with the headline "Counterfeit bills circulating in area, Andover authorities warn."