Fort Wayne battles spike in counterfeit bills

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) -- A spike in the number of counterfeit bills being passed around Fort Wayne is illustrating the challenges of catching forgers in the act in an age in which technology makes such incidents more common.

Fort Wayne police have taken more than 100 reports involving fake money so far this year. That's up from 74 in 2011.

The situation is being compounded by technology, which allows nearly anyone with a computer and printer the opportunity to create fake bills, The Journal Gazette reported.

"Compared to 10 years ago, it's a lot easier to make," said Detective David Ladig. "It's of better quality, for lack of a better term."

Nationally, 60 percent of the counterfeit currency passed last year was produced using digital printing. That's up from less than 1 percent in 1995, according to the U.S. Secret Service, which was originally created in 1865 to suppress counterfeit money.

In 2011, the agency recovered $154.7 million in counterfeit currency and arrested nearly 3,000 people in connection with counterfeit schemes.

The U.S. has added features such as watermarks and vertical security threads to bills to help combat counterfeiting. Each denomination also has microprinting in different areas.

Ladig said many of the counterfeit cases police see involve one or two fake bills. A rare exception occurred at a local sandwich shop, where five fake $20 bills and a fake $10 bill were spotted. All had the same serial number and lacked an inside security strip.

No arrest has been made in that case.

Ladig said people with counterfeit money are most likely to spend it during busy hours at fast food restaurants, hoping that cashiers won't notice the flaws. Those who sell items on sites like craigslist also are frequent victims, he said.

"If you're going to get fake money, you're probably going to find it while dealing with someone in a dim parking lot," he said.

Anyone who gets a counterfeit note should turn it into their bank unless they have a good idea where the money came from, Ladig said.

"It would be useful to call the police if you have a large amount of money and know who gave it to you," Ladig said. "If it would take a crystal ball to figure out who gave it you, take it to your financial institution."

Information from: The Journal Gazette