UNDATED (Wisconsin Radio Network-WSAU) A statewide crime alert has been issued over an apparent counterfeiting ring that’s making its way through the state.
Brown County Sheriff’s detective Roman Aronstein says the group of criminals has been passing extremely well made fake 100 dollar bills that even have a security thread inside. “When you are looking at the security thread don’t just look for the thread itself. When held up to the lights the thread will reveal the actual denomination that the bill should be.”
How are they doing it? The counterfeiters are taking lower denomination bills and are altering the numbers. “What they’ll do is use chemicals to remove the ink off of that currency and then they will print a different, higher-level denomination bill to that such as a $100 bill.”
So far the bills have mostly been passed in big box stores like Walmart, where the crooks prefer to buy small gift cards in order to get as much change as possible.
