NEWS RELEASE
City of Takoma Park Police Department
• 7500 Maple Avenue • Takoma Park, Md 20912
For more information contact:
Public Information Officer (PIO)
Catherine Plevy, 301/891.7142 or 240/338.2901
May 19, 2008 (1:35 p.m.)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY ALERT
The following has been received by the United States Secret Service (USSS):
Counterfeit bills have been hitting the greater Washington, DC and surrounding areas pretty hard. They are bleaching out genuine $1 and $5 notes and reprinting mainly counterfeit $50 and $100 on to the genuine paper. The security threat still appears in the bleached $5 and typically fools a merchant who just looks to see if the thread is there. Due to the paper being genuine currency paper, your typical counterfeit detection pens do not recognize the bill as counterfeit.
The US Treasury/USSS "Know Your Money" pamphlets can be downloaded from the website; www.secretservice.gov or can be obtained by contacting your local USSS office. This pamphlet gives you more general guidelines on detecting counterfeit currency and can be distributed outside of the law enforcement community.
The USSS asks and encourages everyone to distribute these documents throughout the law enforcement and private sector communities to help educate everyone on this counterfeit note.
If assistance is needed from the USSS, please contact their 24 hour Operations Center at 202-406-8800 and an agent will be available to take your call.
If You Receive a Counterfeit note, please review the following procedures:
1. Do not return it to the passer.
2. Delay the passer if possible.
3. Observe the passer's description, as well as that of any companions, and the license plate numbers of any vehicles used.
4. Contact your local police department or United States Secret Service field office. These numbers can be found on the inside front page of your local telephone directory.
5. Write your initials and the date in the white border areas of the suspect note.
6. Limit the handling of the note. Carefully place it in a protective covering, such as an envelope.
7. Surrender the note or coin only to a properly identified police officer or a U.S. Secret Service special agent.