GEORGETOWN, SC (WBTW) – People in Georgetown County are asked to be on the lookout for counterfeit bills that individuals have been attempting to pass off as legal.
Imitation $100 bills have recently been used for the purchase of goods and services, according to the sheriff’s office.
The bills are unlike most counterfeit money because they are technically legal to own and are available for purchase online, according to Sheriff Carter Weaver. They can be found in multiple denominations, are intended to be utilized as props in film productions and typically feature the phrase “For Motion Picture Use Only” on both the front and rear of the bills.
Some people are knowingly attempting to use these bills to purchase things and are committing a crime by doing so, Sheriff Carter said.
More recently, investigators are also encountering “Chinese Character” bills. These bills are almost identical to actual bills, with the exception of small Chinese symbols or characters printed on the backside of the note. Sometimes, these characters are scratched off in an attempt to improve the bill’s chances of being passed as genuine.
Similar cases of these bills being passed, or attempting to be passed, are currently being reported nationwide. The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind all local merchants to be careful in inspecting all U.S. currency presented to them before accepting the payment.
To report anyone attempting to pass these bills as genuine, contact the Sheriff’s Office at (843) 546-5102.