Small business owners in Riverside are being warned to stay vigilant of counterfeit cash after one woman was caught trying to use fake funds at area stores.
Thrift store Milk & Cookies fell victim to a woman's use of phony cash when she used a counterfeit $100 bill to purchase clothes, getting $80 back in real cash.
"It was really hard to tell that it was fake," said Ana Garcia, owner of the store. "We're a thrift store so it takes us a while to accumulate that amount of money, so it's a big hit for us."
According to Garcia, that same customer attempted to pass the fake money at Twinkies Boutique, which is owned by Garcia's aunt. At that store, the owner spotted the counterfeit cash and refused to accept it, prompting the woman to leave.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
It is unclear if the criminal who targeted Milk & Cookies was arrested. Officials did not release the woman's name.
"You go on the dark web and you can literally buy stacks of these," Riverside Police Department Detective Javier Cabrera said.
According to Cabrera, thieves will often buy counterfeit money on the black market. They also bleach smaller bills and use high-quality printers to turn them into higher denominations.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Investigators say criminals will typically try to pass fake bills at yard sales and on social media sites like OfferUp and Craigslist. Cabrera offered the following guidance to avoid accepting fake money.
Tips to consider when checking for counterfeit bills
- $100 bills will have a special texture on Benjamin Franklin’s jacket that will feel ridged
- Newer $100 bills will have two security stripes – a black one on the left of Franklin’s side and a thicker blue one down the right side
- $100 bills have color-changing ink that impacts the color of the bills when they are rotated
