From The Crowley Post-Signal
Counterfeit money is being discovered throughout Acadiana, with the city of Eunice seeing an influx of it.
“What they’re doing is taking smaller denomination bills, washing them, bleaching them, whatever their technique is, and reprinting them, making $100 bills with them,” explained Police Chief Randy Fontenot.
In Morse, on the opposite end of Acadia Parish, Police Chief Jason Coates also has reported the influx of a number of bogus bills — those in the $20 denominations.
Coates did not say if the bills in his community were the same “washed” bills being reported in Eunice.
Eunice Chief Fontenot explained that, because of the “washing” technique using actual bills, some tests don’t work on these bills.
“When you use the pen to check it, because it’s made out of real money, just smaller denominations, it appears with that test that it’s a real bill,” he explained
Fontenot suggests instead, using a UV light to check the bill.
But what if someone hands you what you think could be fake currency?
Fontenot suggests that, if you are handed what you think could be fake currency, “Call the police department immediately and try to do it without the person knowing that you called. Come up with some excuse to walk away from the counter and give us a call real quick.”
Also, if you’ve been dealing with cash lately, Fontenot says you should check what you’ve got in your wallet.
“Some of the people that have these bills don’t know they have counterfeit money or that they’re using counterfeit money,” the chief said. “They may have picked it up somewhere else. And then one day you’re going to end up at the bank or the store with it and somebody’s going to catch it and you’re out your money.”
Fontenot added state police and the U.S. Secret Service are currently investigating. He says he doesn’t believe this money is being washed in Eunice, but instead is coming in from other parts of Acadiana.