St Landry Parish Sheriff Says They’ve Been Inundated With Complaints of Counterfeit Bills, Provide Tips to Spot Fake Money

For as long as physical currency has been in existence, we pretty much have had counterfeit money.

And fake bills are evidently circulating in St. Landry Parish because the sheriff there released a statement regarding a recent influx of the funny money.

According to Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz, his office has been inundated with complaints of counterfeit money. He said that most of the complaints are coming from local truck stop casinos and are involving all denominations.

Guidroz would go on to say that detectives with his office are working several cases where even the marking pen and counters aren't detecting them.

As a result, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office is offering a few ways to help you spot counterfeit bills:

FEEL the bill - Counterfeit money will have a different feel than authentic money which is made of cotton and linen.

LOOK at the bill - there are embedded fibers of red and blue. Counterfeit money will not have the fibers but some try to print the colors on the paper. We all handle money just about every day; check the color of the bills. Often times the counterfeiter does not match the colors.

CHECK for security features - in all denominations, except the $1 and $2. The easiest way to spot a fake $5, $10, $20, $50, or $100 bill is to look for the security features. Look for an embedded security thread (a plastic strip) running from top to bottom. Hold the bill up to the light, you will see the strip and printing on it. Holding the bill up to a light, you can also check for a watermark. A watermark bearing the image of the person whose portrait is on the bill can be found on all $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills series 1996 and later, and on $5 bills series 1999 and later.

NOTIFY authorities - Call your local law enforcement agency if you think you have a counterfeit bill and do not put yourself in danger.

Unfortunately, if you receive a counterfeit bill, you will not be able to be reimbursed by law enforcement or any bank. In the event of an arrest, the courts may order restitution.

For legal advice, you should consult with an attorney.