Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

Nearly $7 million in fake currency was printed and distributed over the last two years, authorities say.

Troy Stroud couldn’t have known it at the time, but as he passed a crisp new $20 bill to the woman in the drive-through window at a Popeyes Chicken restaurant on North La Brea Avenue, he was doing more than just paying for his order, authorities said.

The alleged counterfeiter was passing a suspected bogus bill right in front of a quick-thinking U.S. Secret Service agent who had been following Stroud.

As Stroud’s car idled in line, the agent ran inside the restaurant, flashed his badge and took position behind the counter. He then watched as Stroud handed the allegedly fake currency to the clerk.

On Tuesday, federal authorities announced that Stroud and four other men have been arrested and charged in connection with a massive counterfeiting scheme that U.S. Atty. Thomas P. O’Brien called “one of the largest, if not the largest, counterfeit currency rings we have seen in Southern California.”

The ring is responsible for printing and distributing nearly $7 million in bogus currency over the last two years, authorities said.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Tracy L. Wilkison, the prosecutor on the case, said it was unusual not just because of the amount of money, but because agents were able to go up the food chain in their investigation.

“Most of the time what we have is a handful of poorly crafted bills in small amounts,” she said. “When we’re able to trace it all the way back to the source and stop the printing, that’s a big coup.”

The bills, allegedly produced with computers and ink jet printers, were of particular concern to agents because they had proved difficult to detect and were passed in locations across the United States.

Among those charged in the scheme was Albert Edward Talton, 44, of Lawndale, who is accused of printing the fake cash.

More…

Quiznos $5 Commercial

I think this is a great commercial it assigns a value to what five bucks can get you. Next time someone hands you a five dollar bill think about taking a hot delicious sandwich and instead of eating it flush it down the toilet. That’s like forgeting to check the five dollar bill with your hand counterfeit detecting pen. Not to make you lose your appetite (cheesy pun intended) but now imagine a $50 or $100 bill…

I don’t think any counterfeit detecting device would work on this…

This is an ad from an advertising campaign “Gazeta Mercantil (Undersatand the real value of money)” More…

Retailers spot phony money

I am still amazed at how many retailers get stuck with counterfeit bills. You wouldn’t allow someone to come into your store and take something in exchange for an IOU; why would you allow them to give you a piece of paper that may or may not be real currency? If you don’t have a counterfeit detecting pen, get one here, if you do have them use them. Just in case you aren’t convinced here is an article from redding.com:

Counterfeit money circulating through Shasta and Trinity counties
cost residents and store owners several hundred dollars in April.

“We have been getting some counterfeit bills — $20s, $10s, $100s,”
said Rob Wilson of the Redding Police Department’s financial crimes
unit. “It’s been sporadic, and we can’t pinpoint specifics. We don’t
know if they’re related or not. A few of them have been obvious, and
some of them have been really good.”

Hayfork was particularly hit hard by the counterfeit money as
nearly every establishment reportedly received fake $20s. Most Hayfork
businesses learned of the fraudulent currency coming through town and
started using counterfeit identification pens to check all bills. This
allowed at least three store clerks to identify false $100s, $10s and
even $1s at checkout counters.

Store owners were instructed by the bank and local sheriff’s
deputies to keep the counterfeit cash at the expense of the customers
and to record the patron’s contact information.

“If somebody comes in to pay with a large bill, and they’re only
paying for a few items, (clerks) should really check that bill — its
security strip; check it with a pen,” Wilson said.

Jerry Reichelderfer, pharmacist and owner of the Hayfork Drugstore,
said the store sold out of counterfeit marking pens within a day or two
of the counterfeits surfacing in town. Counterfeit detection pens are
available at most office supply stores, but the pens don’t work on some
of the false bills.

At Wiley’s Market in Hayfork, one of the bills marked with a pen
showed the desired yellow ink on the front side of the bill, but the
ink on the other side turned brown. That’s when the cashier suspected
the $20 bill to be a fake and noticed it had no watermarks.

North Valley Bank, the only bank in Hayfork, referred patrons to a government Web site, www.secretservice.gov/money_receive.shtml, that gives specific instructions regarding how to identify imitation money and what to do with it.

The site instructs clerks not to return counterfeit money to the
passer. It further asks people to delay the passer if possible, observe
his or her description, and take down the vehicle license plate number.

Store employees in Hayfork said it was awkward for them to follow
these mandates because they know most of the people who carried the
counterfeits and thought they unknowingly possessed the fake money.

Storeowners agreed that their patrons seemed surprised and upset
when their bills were identified as counterfeits. At least two of the
people who had counterfeits reportedly said they got them in change
from bars, places less likely to check for fake bills.

Letha Anderson, a cashier at Frontier Fuel Mini Mart, identified fake money from two customers.

“The first one was trying to buy a can of chew with a $20. He
handed me the money, and I checked it with a pen like I always do, even
though I know him because he’s in here all the time,” he said. “I told
him, Hey this (isn’t) real.’ He asked if he could have it back, and I
told him: No way!’ ”

Storeowners in Hayfork said no one has come by to collect the bills
or even record serial numbers or other markers that might help law
enforcement find out where the bills originated.

The Trinity County district attorney’s office said they were made aware of the counterfeits on Friday.

Federal Charges Pending in Counterfeit Money Bust

A man from Morgan County was arrested by the Department of Corrections after escaping from a community release center. Officers searched his property and his vehicle and found approximately $1,700 in counterfeit $100 bills and some illegal drugs according to a Morgan County Sheriff’s press release. It’s a good thing for the residents of Morgan County that this man got caught cause no one wants to end up with a counterfeit $100 bill but unfortunately not all counterfeiters get busted right away so make sure you always have the counterfeit pen with you to avoid getting fake money.

moneymoneyomneyeyyy.jpgMORGAN COUNTY — Federal charges are pending against a bail absconder after he was found in the Gravois Mills area.

Robert G. Dennick, 55, was arrested early on the morning of March 16. Dennick had a parole warrant issued by the Missouri Department of Corrections after escaping from a community release center.

Officers searched the residence and his vehicle and found approximately $1,700 in counterfeit $100 bills, drug paraphernalia, the prescription painkiller Oxycontin and firearms, according to a Morgan County Sheriff’s Department press release.

A Tec-9 nine millimeter pistol was seized from the residence. Taken from Dennick’s vehicle were a .38 caliber pistol, a sawed-off 16-gauge shotgun and a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun, the release said.

All weapons were loaded.

Dennick later confessed to making illegal purchases and alterations to the firearms. He also confessed he was involved in the distribution of the counterfeit bills, the release said.

Officers with the sheriff’s department and the Mid-Missouri Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force conducted a joint investigation.

The Springfield, Mo., office of the Secret Service along with the Jefferson City, Mo., office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the incident with federal charges pending.

Two Counterfeiters Busted in Idaho

On Tuesday night Two men were arrested after a McDonald’s employee tipped off the police. These two men were making and distributing counterfeit money. Reports of counterfeit money are only getting worse and it’s highly advisable you get yourself a counterfeit pen before you run into counterfeit money.

ktrv

bb124s2645.jpgBoise, Idaho — Two men have been arrested for making and distributing counterfeit money.

Boise police say the two men have been passing fake 20-dollar bills over several days.

Tuesday night, they arrested Zane Dees and Scott Vance and charged them with felony forgery.

It happened when a McDonald’s employee at Overland and Cole roads recognized a fake 20-dollar bill and called authorities.

Dees and Vance were still at the restaurant when police arrived, and eventually confessed to detectives they have been passing several counterfeit 20-dollar bills.

“During the course of the investigation these two subjects both 18 years old, both individuals had been the last few days in both making counterfeit money and passing it at numerous locations across the valley”, said Boise Police Detective Wade Spain.

Police are asking other businesses to call them if they find a suspicious 20-dollar bill.

Dees and Vance were both arraigned Wednesday afternoon in Ada County.

« Previous Page