Fake $100 bill used at London business: How to spot counterfeit currency

LOUDON, Ky. (WATE) — The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after someone tried to use a movie prop instead of a $100 bill at a local business.

Laurel Sheriff’s Detective Taylor McDaniel is investigating after the fake money was passed at a London business and reported to the sheriff’s office on Friday, Feb. 28. The fake $100 bill was marked “for motion picture use only” and is movie prop money, according to the sheriff’s office.

A release from the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said this is the third time someone has tried to use counterfeit/fake money at a local business in London this week. It is unknown if the instances are related.

Authentic U.S. currency has security measures incorporated on each bill and only $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills are issued. To determine if a bill is real, the following lists contain the security measures present on real currency:

• A security thread with the denomination of the bill is embedded in the bill
• A watermark containing the portrait image of the portrait on the bill will be located to the right, detectable from the front and back of the bill
• Color shifting ink
• Closely examine the micro printing for sharpness in the fine print
• The bill will have distinctive ridges
• The texture of the paper is different from ordinary paper
• Colored fibers – red and blue fibers are embedded in the paper

The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office explains that if even one security feature is missing, then it is a counterfeit bill. If you come across a fake bill, Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said to report it to your local law enforcement agency.