Lincoln Police say they're seeing a rise in reports of counterfeit money this year over last year.
LPD says between July 31st and August 3rd, officers investigated five incidents in which people tried to pass counterfeit bills. Investigators say the counterfeit bills turned up at a number of different businesses across the city, including convenience stores, gas stations and restaurants.
Lincoln Police say the predominant counterfeit currency is $20 bills, although they say it is common to also see counterfeit $10 bills. They say the counterfeit bills can be detected in several ways:
- Business employees noted that the texture of the money “didn’t feel right” and also did not have some basic security features, such as the orange background colors.
- The bills lacked the embedded security thread that glows when illuminated by UV light.
- Some bills were marked as “Motion Picture Money.”
At this time last year, LPD says they had investigated 138 counterfeit cases, so far this year, they've investigated 160 counterfeit cases. That accounts for a 16% increase this year over last year. Lincoln Police say over the last five years, they have investigated roughly 270 counterfeit cases, with a total annual loss of about $24,000. LPD says they are working with businesses to identify suspects through video surveillance and other forensic techniques.