3 On Your Side: Federal Investigators Warn Of Fake $100 Bills
By Elizabeth Hur
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- 3 On Your Side has a warning about bogus Benjamins!
"Know Your Money" – That's the message from federal investigators who say they're seeing more counterfeit money being passed in our area.
Cynthia Wofford, Special Agent in charge of the Philadelphia field office of the U.S. Secret Service explained, "This particular note is prevalent on the I-95 corridor up and down the East coast. This is actually an offset printed note so the quality is a little better."
Due to the advanced quality of the counterfeit, officials say, it could even go undetected with the counterfeit detector pens.
"So unless you know what to look for, you might mistake this for a genuine $100 bill," Wofford said.
So here's how to spot the fake –
First, be on the lookout for these five different serial numbers found on the front of the bill:
- DB016240_ _ A
- DB124240_ _ A
- DJ863653_ _ A
- DJ663653_ _ A
- FL993241_ _ B
Then, on the back of the bill, look for the "77" back plate on the lower right.
"The best way to tell a counterfeit is to hold it up to something you are pretty sure is genuine," Wofford added, "Hold it up to the light and make sure the water marks are the correct president and make sure they look legitimate and not caricature-like. Also, the paper of a genuine has a certain feel. This particular counterfeit is a little more waxy, kind of shiny feeling."
Authorities say because of an open and ongoing investigation, they cannot reveal too much about why or how they got wind of this but they want the public to be aware.
"Try to obtain as much information about the person who's passing it, if possible, that will help our investigation," Wofford explained, "If you don't know who passed it and no one's ever arrested, then you're out of the $100."
You can find more information here: http://www.secretservice.gov/know_your_money.shtml
Meanwhile, anyone who is presented with the counterfeit bill is asked to call the police and the U.S. Secret Service Philadelphia Field Office at (215) 861-3300.
