ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — Washtenaw County Treasurer Catherine McClary is urging everyone, including government offices, to be on the lookout for counterfeit money.
"I've been a treasurer almost 30 years and this is the third or the fourth kind of spate of counterfeit (money) that we've had," McClary told 7 Action News Friday.
It's important to note she said that some people may not even be aware that they've passed counterfeit money. If a government agency or retailer discovers that they received a counterfeit bill from someone, it cannot be returned to the person.
"You could be charged with passing a counterfeit bill if you gave it back to them. If you believed it was counterfeit and you gave it back," she said.
More people are using cash less often, but at marijuana dispensaries like Bloom City Club in Ann Arbor, the majority of their sales are in cash because cannabis is still illegal at the federal level so banking institutions restrict credit card transactions.
At Bloom City Club, they are able to conduct credit card transactions through a third party system. But their team is trained to spot counterfeit cash.
"We look out for suspicious bills. We have a money machine that we'll run everything through, and then we'll mark every bill with counterfeit markers," said Karson Estep, a floor manager at Bloom.
The U.S. Secret Service has issued information to help you learn to spot the difference between actual current and bogus money, and it includes identifying markers such as 3-D security ribbons and color-shifting ink.
Know Your Money - Counterfeit Bills by WXYZ-TV Detroit on Scribd
The U.S. Currency Education Program also has learning tools available to help you learn about authenticating cash.
