West Seattle Crime Watch alert: Bogus bills at businesses

That’s a cameraphone photo of bogus bills snapped by a WSB team member who says they don’t look much better in person — badly defined imagery on back, for example — fake $50s that have turned up so far at Funky Jane’s Consignment and Many Moons Trading Company in The Junction (3-4 pm this past Monday), according to those businesses’ owners. We’re awaiting suspect description to share, but wanted to get the word out first to anyone who hadn’t heard.

Ric March 6, 2008 (3:22 pm)

C’mon now! Printer ink’s expensive!!!

miws March 6, 2008 (9:18 pm)

To all who handle cash in their jobs, counterfeit pens are a good resource for detecting bad bills. We have them at each register at my work. If the money isn’t printed on the proper paper, an ink mark from the pen will turn dark brown or black. I’m sure they’re available for purchase at office supply stores.

However, I’ve heard there’s another round of “washed” bills $50.00’s and $100.00’s going around. That’s where the bad guys will bleach out a five, and print a fifty or one hundred over it. So, it will fool the pen, since it’s printed on the correct paper. Because of that, It’s a good idea to also hold the bill up to a good light source, and make sure Ben or Ulysses, is not only on the center portrait, but in the watermark image as well. If you see Abe (or George) in the watermark, it’s a washed bill.

Here’s a Linky Thingy to the Secret Service website with info on determining which is fake money, and which is real.

Mike

A.M. March 7, 2008 (7:12 am)

Both of those businesses are owned by the same family. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

WSB March 7, 2008 (8:04 am)

Nothing nefarious about that, that’s who reported it to us; I should have mentioned it in the post, will add now.

Emily March 7, 2008 (12:18 pm)

I work at both (wonderful) locations with Angela (Funky Janes) and her Mom (Many Moons, by the way this loving family connection is no secret), and I saw the suspect.
The police warned to be careful because this form of crime sometimes occurs in waves.

He was a white male, 5.3′ to 5.5′, with long white hair, a large nose which looked as though it may have been broken several times, small squeany eyes that were close set, with an X-rocker, drug addict look about him. He had a raspy voice and called me honey. (yuck) He was tan and wore jeans. I had never seen him before. He seemed very confident and not sheepish AT ALL!