The sheriff of Jackson County is warning residents that prop money has been circulating around the county in recent days.
Prop money is typically used in television or movie filming for use by actors on camera. While it largely resembles genuine U.S. currency, it has wordmarks indicating that it is for motion picture use only.
The sheriff's office made a post on social media this week with an image of one of the prop bills.
While prop money is not illegal to possess, it is illegal to try to pass it off as real currency. Mangum said that is what has happened in recent days in Jackson County.
"We have gotten three reports from a school system that they had some prop money used on three occasions," Mangum said. "We do have one or two suspects that we're looking at."
Mangum said investigators are unaware how much of the fake currency may be circulating in the county. She said prop money representing $10, $20 and $100 denominations have been spotted so far.
While she said she's unaware if any other surrounding jurisdictions have reported people trying to spend prop money, she said it is not unprecedented in Georgia.
"I did talk to an investigator that told me this happened a month or so again at a flea market where this money was passed," Mangum said.
Mangum said while authorities continue to investigate how this money began circulating in the area, it's important for residents to be vigilant to make sure they don't end up accidentally receiving and then trying to spend a fake bill.
"When you go somewhere where you're getting some money back or some change back that you pay attention to that money," Mangum said. "If you're busy, you may take that $10 or $100 bill and you may not look and read that 'for motion picture use only.'"
