Several counterfeit bills have been passed to area businesses in the last couple months according to the Kewanee Police Department.
Already in June, there have been two instances where the banks have contacted local retailers to inform them that they have taken a counterfeit bill. In March, three retailers were hit with the fake cash, and in April, two other retailers learned that they, too, had been swindled.
Kewanee Deputy Chief Stephen Kijanowski said that a total of eight reports of counterfeit currency have occurred already this year.
“Usually the bills are larger denominations because they want to get the change,” the Deputy Chief said.
Police records show that the bills being passed are $20, $50 and $100 denominations. Some of the bills have been reprinted over existing currency. In addition, the report shows clumps of activity, but investigating these crimes has its challenges.
“It’s not easy,” he said. “We do follow leads and we can talk to different areas being hit.”
Sometimes the counterfeiters come in from out of town, making the department’s task of tracking them down even more difficult. Security camera images are often all they have to go on.
“Walmart is good about getting that information to us. They have good security footage.”
But it’s not always out-of-town culprits who try to pass fake currency. Locally, the police dealt with an individual attempting to pass off prop movie money that can be purchased online.
The counterfeiters are also good at knowing how to get away with passing the fake bills, he said, and plan their purchases at the retailer’s busiest part of the day. Distracting the clerk with conversation in an attempt to draw their attention away from the transaction is also part of the ploy.
“What happens is that when they get busy and get a line, people want to get them through the line and they might not be as careful as they should be,” he said.
Local banks are usually the bearer of the bad news. When they find a counterfeit bill among the retailer’s deposit, they notify the business. Most of the investigations begin at the banks, said Kijanowski.
Deputy Chief Kijanowski said there are steps that area businesses can take to prevent themselves from becoming victims. Examining all denominations is a good idea. Usually, the weight of the bill or the feel of the bill is off.
He also suggests examining the bills for security markings and utilizing color changing pens that detect counterfeit currency.
While counterfeit currency isn’t an enormous problem in Kewanee, it is a consistent one.
“That is an issue that we deal with throughout the year,” he said.
