The Green Bay Police Department is sending out a warning to be cautious about counterfeit cash and “REPLICA” or “MOTION PICTURE” money that may be in circulation.
Within the last six weeks, fraudulent U.S. currency has surfaced in seven cases with denominations ranging from $1 to $100 in the City of Green Bay. The Police Department has confiscated a total of $1,022 worth of fake money as evidence after suspects allegedly attempted to exchange the forged bills for goods at places like area convenience stores and/or suspects have been found carrying “REPLICA” or “MOTION PICTURE” money when arrested on other matters.
“We suggest that if something appears to be off about the currency that you’re being handed, such as the texture or print, do not accept it, request another form of payment, and contact us or your local law enforcement agency immediately, so we can catch whoever is trying to knowingly defraud you,” said Commander Kevin Warych, Green Bay Police Department. “While counterfeit cash and ‘REPLICA’ or ‘MOTION PICTURE’ money are not anything new, we recently confiscated some ‘REPLICA’ money that had appeared to have ‘REPLICA’ scratched off with possible intent to make the money appear real. It’s also uncommon to see lower counterfeit denominations like $1 or $5, so beware.”
In Wisconsin, the intentional use of counterfeit money is a fraud that has the potential to be a Class H felony with fines reaching $10,000 and/or up to six years in prison. To help stop and prevent this from occurring, we encourage all retailers, financial institutions, and residents to educate and protect themselves from being a victim of fraudulent money. For more information on how to detect counterfeit money please go to the U.S. Currency Education Program website at https://www.uscurrency.gov/educational-materials/training-course.
Anyone with information related to the circulation or printing of counterfeit money is encouraged to call Green Bay Police at (920) 448-3200. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime stoppers at (920) 432-STOP (7867). You may also submit a tip online at www.432stop.com, or utilize the "P3 Tips" app for crime tips.
