Counterfeit bills found circulating in Lovell

If it feels strange to the touch and doesn’t have a watermark, the bill you’re holding in your hand could be counterfeit. According to Sgt. Scott Allred two bills were found circulating in Lovell within the past few weeks.

A local bank reported the first bill, a counterfeit $20. According to Allred, the bill was received by the bank in a stack of bills that had been collected from numerous individuals purchasing tickets to attend the Mustang Days Follies.

[caption id="attachment_10017" align="alignright" width="300"] The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the circumstances surrounding two counterfeit bills that were passed in Lovell within the last few weeks.[/caption]

After alerting the public on the Lovell Police Department’s Facebook page, a counterfeit $1 bill was discovered shortly after by a local business owner in his till. Allred said the observant business owner had seen the post on Facebook before he discovered the bill. He said numerous other reports were received following the post on social media, but those bills turned out to be legitimate. Allred said this week that he wouldn’t be surprised if there are more counterfeit bills circulating that haven’t been discovered yet.

Allred advises residents and businesses to be on the alert for bills that feel different than normal to the touch or do not appear to have a watermark. To see the watermark, hold the bill up to the light. Many businesses have special pens that also detect counterfeit bills. A counterfeit $20 bearing the serial number JF 92381332 C is most likely a counterfeit, since that serial number has been passed 392 times in states across the nation, according to the U.S. Secret Service. Allred said the matter has been turned over to the Secret Service, since counterfeiting is a federal crime. He said it is not yet clear if the counterfeit bills originated in the area.

Individuals who spot a suspicious looking bill should bring it in to the Lovell Police Department to be examined. At press time, only the two bills had been discovered in the area.

By Patti Carpenter