FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 10/12/2017 Contact: Sgt. Scott Gaarde, Public Information Officer
Phone: 319-356-5293
Iowa City Police warn of counterfeit currency
Residents and retailers should be aware that there have been
numerous recent incidents of fictitious U.S. bills of various
denominations being passed in the Iowa City community.
The Iowa City Police Department (ICPD) has received reports
of fake bills on poor quality paper, displaying Chinese characters printed
on the front and back, in bright red or pink ink.
Images of the counterfeit currency provided by the Iowa City Police Department.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury recommends that retailers and businesses do the following when handling suspicious currency:
Feel the paper
Move your finger across the note. It should feel slightly rough to the touch as a result of the printing process and the unique composition of the paper.
Tilt the note
Tilt the note to see the ink in the numbers on the lower right corner change color. On the current style of notes, the color should change from copper to green. Color-shifting ink appears on denominations $10 and higher. The current style $100 note includes two additional security features you can check by tilting the note: a color-shifting bell in the inkwell and a 3-D security ribbon. The 3-D security ribbon contains images of bells and100s that shift as you tilt the note.
Check with light
Hold the note to light to check that the watermark and security thread are visible from the front and back of the note. The security thread is in a different location on each denomination $5 and higher. The watermarks on the $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes should match the portrait on the front of the note. The $5 note has numeral 5 watermarks.
If you believe you have received a counterfeit bill, the
U.S. Treasury and the ICPD advise you to do the following:
Do not put yourself in
danger
Do not return the bill
to the passer
Delay the passer with
some excuse, if possible
Observe the passer’s
description, and their companions’ descriptions
Write down their
vehicle license plate numbers, if you can
Immediately contact the ICPD at
319-356-6800
Additional
information, resources, and training provided by the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. Currency Education program can be found by visiting www.uscurrency.gov/resource-center.