DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — One Las Vegas business owner tells Channel 13, several customers have tried to pay with counterfeit $100 bills this month. However, they didn't know the bills were fake.
“Last week, we encountered, in one day, four fake $100 bills that tried to pass through our cashier," said Yukon Pizza Co-Owner Cameron White. “A lot of the folks that we encountered didn’t know at all that they were fakes and that puts everyone in a bad position."
He adds it's not always easy to check if the bill is a fake.
“For us, it passed some of the checks we make," White explained.
There are at least 10 checks that the Secret Service says can help you detect a counterfeit bill.
These tests include inspecting several numbers on the bill, a black light test and even a marker test.
“So the marker test, it’s supposed to stay yellow. It’ll turn brown if it’s on a piece of normal paper. So if it’s on, let’s say, a piece of normal paper like a coloring sheet, see how that turns instantly brown," White explained as he demonstrated using a fake bill.
The marker is part of a bill-checking set and it doubles as the black light.
There are bill validating machines, which run through all the checks and are designed to find counterfeit bills. Slot machines and ATMs have those systems installed inside the machines.
It's not foolproof though. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a couple was arrested after passing scores of counterfeit $100 bills through penny slots at Caesars Palace from 2005 to 2007.
Those systems are all updated frequently and there is no indication of that happening now.
Not all businesses have access to a bill validating machine, though, so I went and spoke to 10 different businesses to see if they check for counterfeit bills.
Three of the businesses had bill validating systems, but the other seven say they either just run the marker test or they don't even check at all.
“If that’s happening here, then it’s happening at other places too. So yes, that’s a bit concerning," said Weston Allen, who is concerned about counterfeit bills spreading.
WATCH: How to spot a fake $100 bill
Many businesses, including Yukon Pizza, say they've stopped accepting $100 bills as of now.
Both Las Vegas police and the Secret Service declined to speak on if there's a current spread of fake bills. However, the Secret Service did provide a response.
“As a matter of operational security, the U.S. Secret Service does not discuss potentially ongoing investigations. With that said, counterfeiting of U.S. currency continues to be an issue both domestically and globally. In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. Secret Service arrested 197 individuals suspected of counterfeiting and seized $21.8 million in counterfeit currency. We recommend individuals, retailers, and financial institutions to remain vigilant and examine bills. U.S. currency has several built-in security features to help protect against counterfeiting. More information on these features can be found here.”
The Secret Service says if you find a counterfeit bill, contact them or the police and you can also fill out a Counterfeit Report.
