The community is abuzz with reports of individuals receiving counterfeit $100 bills, prompting the police in a significant US city to search for potential suspects.
Newsradio WSGW reports that at least five counterfeit $100 bills were discovered inside an Isabella Bank branch in Clare, Michigan, according to authorities.
The bills were all deposited by “area businesses” over the weekend and bear the same bogus serial number.
The police are interviewing any additional individuals who have encountered phony funds, as they do not have any suspects.
The US Secret Service reported that it seized $21.8 million in counterfeit currency last year, which resulted in 197 arrests. Counterfeit cash continues to be produced throughout the nation.
The agency cautions that counterfeiting techniques are evolving with technological advancements even though the dollar value of its seizures has decreased in recent years.
“The threat of counterfeit U.S. currency to the financial system of the United States continues to evolve.
Advances in technology, the availability of scanning and printing devices and the adoption of the U.S. dollar by nations as their legal tender have exacerbated the global threat.”