EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Counterfeiters operating in the Eugene and Springfield areas are bleaching $5 bills and reprinting them as high-quality but completely phony $100s.
Police say the bogus bills have been passed at more than a dozen local businesses in recent weeks. They say the easiest way to identify one of the ringers is to hold it up to a light to check the bill’s embedded watermark. Eugene police Detective Patrick Willis says if you see the bearded Lincoln on anything other than a $5 bill, that’s a problem.
The Register-Guard says so far this summer, Eugene police have fielded between 15 and 20 reports involving counterfeit $100s created from genuine $5s. Investigators say the sudden surge suggests that a single group is producing the bills.
Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com
