By Staff
Police Chief Tom Atkinson warns all citizens and business owners that there could be some high-quality counterfeit $100 bills in circulation around the Dowagiac area.
One bill has already been discovered and it is possible there will be other attempts to pass more phony C-notes.
These counterfeit bills can escape detection because they are printed on Treasury paper.
It appears that the bogus bills are made from $5 bills that have been chemically "bleached" to eliminate the printing and pictures that normally appear on that denomination.
The "blank" bill then has a $100 photo copy printed on it.
Because it is on currency paper, the chemical pens that are used to detect bad bills will not be effective.
The counterfeit can still be spotted by consumers and business personnel if they take the time to examine the watermark and/or the metallic strip that is in every bill by holding it over or up to a strong light.
The watermark should match the picture printed on the bill, and the metallic strip will have the denomination of the bill printed on it.
If these two indicators do not match the face value of the bill, it is a counterfeit.
Police urge everyone to take a little extra time to make these examinations.
It will help thwart the criminals operating in the area and keep you or your business from becoming a fraud victim.