BEWARE: Police Warn of Fake Cash Circulating in Central Maine
Did you know that you can order realistic-looking cash right on Amazon?
Now, to be fair, fake money that you order online always has indicators that it is not actual US currency, however, it can be easy to miss if you're not intentionally looking for it.
This is one of the reasons that many places that still take cash use those fancy markers that tell them if the cash is real.
Stores often use a counterfeit detection pen or marker to check cash. The pen contains an iodine-based solution that reacts differently with the types of paper used for real and fake bills.
According to How Stuff Works, U.S. paper currency is made from a special blend of cotton and linen, which doesn't react with the pen. When the marker is used on a real bill, it leaves a clear or light yellow mark that fades quickly.
Fake Currency: Many counterfeit bills are printed on regular wood-based paper. When the iodine in the pen's solution comes into contact with the starch found in standard paper, it creates a dark brown or black mark, indicating the bill is likely counterfeit.
However, not every business has one of these pens and not every business that has one of these pens uses it every time. This is why one Maine town is warning its business owners to be on the lookout for fake money.
According to WGME 13, police in the town of Jay, Maine, are warning businesses to be on the lookout for fake movie production money. The police say this fake cash is beginning to show up at businesses around town.
The news station reported that Jay police explained that while the cash looks legit at first, it is actually a replica bill made for movie production.
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