Law enforcement in Towns County is advising residents and businesses to pay close attention to your currency.
The Towns County Sheriff's Office has reported that one of their deputies recently learned that a local resident had received a counterfeit 20 dollar bill during a transaction as change from a local store.
Towns Sheriff Ken Henderson is sharing the following information for recognizing counterfeit bills:
• Evaluate the feel of the paper. Generally, fake money does not have the crisp money feeling and the raised feeling of the black on the front of the bills.
• Study the watermark on the right side of the bill. On some bills it’s a replica of the face on the bill and on others it can be an oval spot. Hope the bill up to the light. The watermark should be visible on the right side of the bill. If you hold the bill toward the light and there is no watermark, or if you can see the watermark without holding the bill to the light, then the bill is probably counterfeit.
• Look for raised printing. Run your fingernail slowly and carefully down the note, you’ll feel resistance from the note and some vibrations on your nail from the ridges of the raised printing. A good location to check is the coat of the president.
• Look for the fibers. Paper money is actually made of cotton and linen. Look for red and blue fibers that are embedded in the paper. Lines should not be printed or drawn on the bill.
• Look for the plastic strip inside the bill. The strip goes from the top to the bottom of the bill. This does not apply to $1 and $2 bills.
If you suspect that you have received a counterfeit bill, immediately contact your local law enforcement agency, and if possible, handle it as little as possible and try to place it into a bag or envelope for transport to proper authorites.
