Fake money hits local area

There has been a wave of counterfeit money hitting the Grand Coulee area.

Police said Monday that they have picked up a number of 5's, 10's, 20's and a 50 so far from local businesses.

Some of the counterfeit copies are poorly done and are either poorly aligned, miss the watermarks and lines through the paper, or are done on paper obviously not matching regular paper money stock.

The police department in Grand Coulee asks that officers be informed when someone thinks they have a counterfeit bill.

Police Sgt. Gary Moore said that clerks should check the bills they receive carefully to avoid taking counterfeit bills.

He said that in most cases clerks are alert as to how to check a bill for authenticity and they should do so routinely.

"We want to know when you think you have a counterfeit bill in your till," Moore stated. "We ask that you refuse to take a bill that doesn't check out, and call us immediately."

A person at one firm told police that the "money didn't feel right." He said that when the person who passed the bill was confronted, she looked at the person she was with and said, "Let's get the hell out of here."

In the case of the $20 bill, it looked washed to the officer who viewed it. When he held it up to the light, he couldn't see the transparent heads of Thomas Jefferson.

"If it doesn't feel right, don't take it," Moore said.

Police are investigating the rash of counterfeit money.