Florida Officials Issue Warning on Counterfeit Currency
Officials in Florida are increasingly concerned about individuals attempting to use obvious counterfeit money, including film prop bills, as real currency. There’s a pressing need to learn how to identify these fakes.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office recently shared an image of a $100 bill that features Benjamin Franklin, but with a special circled bolt that isn’t found on authentic bills. This bill is specifically marked as a fake intended only for movie productions.
According to local law enforcement, the font on these counterfeit bills resembles that of genuine currency, but there are clear indications that they are not real—labeling such as “For Motion Picture Purposes,” “This is not legal tender,” and “Movie Funds” are present.
In late September, Key West police discovered a similar counterfeit $20 bill featuring an unusual smiling Andrew Jackson. The department warned residents, pointing out that although these bills are marked, they can still be misleading. A smiling president? Yeah, that’s a red flag.
A local business owner alerted the police about the counterfeit money found in their register and asked them to inform the community.
Interestingly, many cashiers, especially among Gen Z, struggle with distinguishing fake from real money. There was even a case at a Florida frozen yogurt shop where an employee marked “FAKE” on two genuine bills with a Sharpie.
In another bizarre incident, a diner in Missouri attempted to settle his bill with a novelty $1,000 bill, a type of currency not recognized in the U.S. It turns out, these notes were used in China for ancestral rituals, typically burned to honor the deceased.
This isn’t a new issue. Back in 2019, New York State Senator Chuck Schumer expressed concerns that counterfeit bills, dubbed “Funny Money,” were emerging as a significant problem for retailers in New York City. He noted that the prevalence of such currency became alarming, suggesting that it shouldn’t be a “mission impossible” to prevent these fakes from circulating as real currency.
