Several hundred counterfeit five dollar bills have turned up at local merchants recently, and the Jefferson police are hard at work attempting to discover their source. Merchants have been put on red alert and told to be on the look out for these bills, which are almost indistinguishable from authentic five dollar bills. Police have determined that the best way to tell if you have a phony bill is to hold it up to the light and look for the imbedded strip to show through.
After closer examination of the fake bills, it was also noticed that Lincoln's portrait has been replaced with that of an unknown individual. Police feel that determining the identity of this person may hold the key to establishing the source of this counterfeit money. Anyone recognizing the individual on these bills is urged to contact the local police or the Secret Service. Below is an image taken of a bill later determined to most likely be counterfeit.
Spencer Straight, 03-17-2011