Pocono News Section

Counterfeit Money Circulating in Central PA

Counterfeit Money Circulating in Central PA - Monday, March 9, 2009 at 5:30PM EST

Loyalsock Township, Lycoming County-
Police are encountering several cases of funny money in central Pennsylvania.

Late last week, a customer came to a U. P.S. Store in Loyalsock Township. Once inside, she attempted to send two money orders totaling $500.

But workers here sensed something wasn’t right. They had been handed a stack of bogus $20’s.

Susan Greenleaf, of Williamsport, noted, “People will just try to do so many things to make it good for themselves. It’s being thieves, and it’s terrible. I think it’s awful.”

Thankfully, the employees here knew exactly what they were looking for. They spotted the fake bills, got the counterfeiter’s license plate number, and immediately cancelled the money orders.

Most customers we spoke with said they wouldn’t know how to spot a fake bill.

Williamsport Police Agent Ron Bachman explained, “The paper will either feel glossy. It’ll feel thin. It might feel thicker. But it’ll feel different than a normal bill.”

Williamsport police have also seen a rise in bogus bills. They’re still looking for a woman in connection with some counterfeit money passed at Cady’s Newsstand last month.

Police say once the funny money gets into circulation, the bills can be hard to weed out.

Check for a strip of numbers and a watermark of the president’s face that can only be seen when a bill is held up to the light. Those markings are only found on real money.

Bachman added, “I really recommend that you get the pens. I haven’t seen a bill yet, a fake bill, that got by the pens.”

People here say criminals who try to pass fake cash make them angry.

Greenleaf noted, “To me, something that’s always been very important is, honor is what you do when nobody is looking.”

If you have information regarding counterfeit money in our area, contact your local police department.

You can take suspect bills to your local bank or police department for verification.

For more tips to spot counterfeit cash, log onto .