Decatur police, BBB warn of movie money scam
Published 6:15 am Thursday, August 24, 2017
- The Decatur Police Department and Better Business Bureau are warning North Alabama sellers to keep an eye out for customers attempting to pass movie prop money off as authentic U.S. currency. The bills can appear in any denomination but can be easily identified as fake.
The Decatur Police Department and Better Business Bureau are warning local sellers and businesses to double-check any suspicious bills.
A large sum of prop money was received through the mail in Decatur, according to a press release from DPD. The money included $100 bills that were clearly marked for “motion picture use only” and featured an altered image of Benjamin Franklin on the front.
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DPD warned all merchants within the city of Decatur to keep an eye out for customers who might use these bills, saying any denomination is possible and it isn’t just businesses being targeted.
“Individuals selling items online through Facebook Marketplace, online yard sales and Craigslist are also being targeted with this money,” the press release said.
The BBB encouraged anyone who received the prop money to contact their local police department. Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson and Limestone County Deputy Stephen Young said they were unaware of cases involving prop money in the Athens-Limestone area, though counterfeit money does occasionally make an appearance.
FitSmallBusiness.com offers tips for spotting a counterfeit bill. These include checking for blurry borders or text, raised printing and looking for color-shifting ink. Since 1996, all denominations greater than $5 have included a bottom-right corner that appears to be a copper color when looked at directly but appears green when viewed at an angle.
Meanwhile, any authentic U.S. currency will have raised printing. Bills with blurry printing are likely to be fake.