Ocean City Police Warn Residents and Business Owners of Counterfeit Currency

The Ocean City Police Department is warning residents, business owners and employees to be on the lookout for counterfeit currency being circulated in Ocean City. In the past week, there have been two reports of counterfeit currency, including several counterfeit $100.00 bills.  These bills either are marked as “play money” or have Chinese writing on both sides.    

Ocean City police are encouraging citizens to closely examine currency by looking carefully at the money being exchanged. When receiving a $100 bill for a very small purchase, examine the currency. Often times, suspects will pass the counterfeit bill to exchange it for real currency, not necessarily to purchase big-ticket items. Also, business owners are reminded that counterfeit detection pens very often generate false results. Counterfeiters can use bleached genuine currency or coat counterfeit notes to prevent the proper chemical reactions.

In addition, the Federal Reserve Board offers these tips to detect suspicious or counterfeit currency:

• Feel the paper. Genuine U.S. currency has a unique feel. The note should feel slightly rough to the touch. If the currency feels different than what you are used to, examine it closer.
• Tilt the note back and forth to observe the color-shifting ink in the right-hand corner of denominations $10 or higher. Most bills will shift from copper to green.
• Check the watermark and security thread by holding the currency up to a light. A watermark should be visible from both sides and will match the portrait or denomination. A security thread should also be visible from both sides and match the denomination. When held to UV light, the security thread will glow a unique color.

For more information about U.S. currency and how to detect a counterfeit note, visit www.uscurrency.gov.