‘Movie money’ hits stores

Law enforcement agencies, businesses fight counterfeit cash

WARREN -- Debbie Larson, owner of Garfield Convenient Mart, has had a confiscated counterfeit $10 bill tucked beside her register for the last six months.

"It's good," Larson said of the counterfeit. "They put a lot of effort into it."

However, despite the bill's looks, the texture of the paper is wrong. Larson said she could tell the bill was a fake by feeling it. Moreover, when she used the counterfeit detector pen kept next to the main register, the pen produced a black line on the bad bill -- a stark contrast to the light beige line made when she swiped the pen across a real $10.

Larson said she doesn't get the bills a lot, but when she does, she or her employees keep them and warn other nearby stores that someone is trying to use counterfeits. She said she checks bills that are worth $20 and more, but these days $5 are the most common counterfeits going around the area.

IMPACT

Anywhere from $700,000 to $1 million in counterfeit bills circulate through northeast Ohio every year, according to Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Schuck with the Secret Service Cleveland Field Office.

Counterfeit bills in northeastern Ohio come back to Schuck's office to be tracked -- hopefully back to the source.

Compared to other areas, that is a "middle to lower" circulation, he said.

"It's not a huge problem, but it's still a million dollars," Schuck said. He said most of the money that comes to the Secret Service is cash banks get in night deposits, but some comes from local law enforcement agencies that get calls from businesses that accidentally accept the fakes.

"It affects financial infrastructure. Typically it's the businesses that are losing money," Schuck said. "Our goal is to find whoever manufactures it."

Many fast food chains have posted signs at drive-thru windows alerting customers that $50 and $100 bills will not be accepted because of the high circulation of counterfeit bills. Often busy cashiers miss obvious fakes in cash exchanges.

TYPES OF COUNTERFEITS

Schuck said right now, a major type of counterfeit circulating in the area is "movie money" or "Chinese bills" -- novelty bills meant for use in motion pictures that are being passed as real currency.

The bills tend to have red or pink Chinese characters or "for motion picture use" printed in place of "United States of America."

Niles police Chief Jay Holland said the department recently has seen a lot of the "prop money."

"If you are a busy clerk, you may miss it, as the rest of the bill looks good," Holland said.

He said the department used to get more "home printer" money, but that has given way to the prop money, which can be purchased online.

There also are some higher-quality counterfeit bills in circulation, according to Austintown Township police detective Shawn Hevener. Those bills -- usually in larger denominations -- often are smaller bills that have been bleached and reprinted.

"Real counterfeiters will bleach a $5 bill and reprint it as a $50," Hevener said.

He said these bills will pass a test with a counterfeit pen, but can still be identified as fake by holding them up to the light. In newer bills, a vertical ribbon or strip with "USA" and the denomination runs vertically through the bill.

IDENTIFYING A FAKE

There are a number of things to look for when identifying legal U.S. currency, according to Hevener.

First, the paper texture: Real currency has a fibrous quality, while the copy paper used in movie money or home-printed counterfeits tends to be waxier. Some home-counterfeiters also will glue two pieces of paper together to get around double-printing, changing the thickness of a bill.

Real currency also has many detailed features. On a newer $50 bill, a close examination of the golden 50 will reveal an almost sparkly quality. Five dollar bills and higher contain watermarks that are almost impossible for even a skilled counterfeiter to replicate.

The bills also have small vertical ribbons that read "USA" with the denomination. These, like watermarks, can be seen when a bill is held up to the light.

Another trick Hevener said he only recently learned is testing the collar of the figurehead on a bill. The founding father's jackets are embossed, which gives each a discernible texture.

PENALTY

Schuck said under a new state law, possessing or passing counterfeit bills is a felony in Ohio.

"It makes it a little harsher of a crime for people passing it," said Schuck, who added that gives local police departments more leverage.

Passing counterfeits used to be misdemeanor under "criminal simulation," according to Hevener. The act only became a felony when $5,000 or more in fake currency was found on one person. Now, possessing any amount of counterfeit money can be a felony.

However, Hevener said police understand people sometimes don't realize they are passing it or have it. He said in Austintown, police prosecute possession of counterfeits if they can link the bills back to the person who passed them and have enough evidence to prove it was intentional.