It's All About the [fake] Benjamins

[wonkywheels.livejournal.com]

Has anyone else encountered any counterfeit money around Somerville? This shady dude tried to pay with a fake hundred dollar bill at a bar I was at last night. The bartenders didn't press charges or anything, and the guy claimed he got the bill from Citizens Bank, which I highly doubt. I felt it, and it was obviously fake. Just a heads up!

Comments

[jovianconsensus.livejournal.com]

The bartenders didn't press charges or anything

I think the Secret Service would prefer they reported it. I don't think anyone but the feds has to "press charges."

[cynickalone.livejournal.com]

How did they recognize it was fake? Did they use that marker thingy, or just hold it to the light?

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Ditto this. It IS a crime, can be a very serious one, and where there's one counterfeit, there are more.

[ionicaq.livejournal.com]

The bartender needs to report this to the police who in turn will report it to the Secret Service. It's not a matter of "pressing charges" they need to try and follow the money back to the source.

I used to be a bank teller and once accepted a fake twenty, but caught it before it went back out again.

[solarpanda.livejournal.com]

I agree, it would be sad to see other davis square businesses hurt by counterfeit bills...

[wonkywheels.livejournal.com]

well, the bartender just gave it back to the guy who had the bill, so I don't think there's anything he can do now. :(

[ron_newman]

Can you tell us more about how you determined it was obviously fake?

[wonkywheels.livejournal.com]

It was thicker than a normal bill, and it also looked darker (less green). Plus, yeah, it didn't have any water marks when they held it up to the light.

[wonkywheels.livejournal.com]

See my reply to cynickalone above.

[ionicaq.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's kinda illegal.

[ron_newman]

I don't think it's illegal to just reject the counterfeit bill, but the unfortunate result is that he'll try to spend it somewhere else.

[firepail.livejournal.com]

how is that illegal?

if the bartender takes the bill but says he is reporting the "customer", what is the bartender supposed to do? citizen's arrest? or was the bartender supposed to play it cool and give the "customer" change and then call the cops--but have knowingly shorted the till? yes, the bartender should have reported it, but I get why they wouldn't take the bill.

[ionicaq.livejournal.com]

Take the bill and ask the customer to wait while he calls the cops. Mind you, I'm not saying force the customer to stay, but just tell them what's happening.

http://www.secretservice.gov/money_receive.shtml

[ionicaq.livejournal.com]

http://www.secretservice.gov/money_receive.shtml

[firepail.livejournal.com]

and when the "customer" freaks out, then what? it's not like the police arrive in seconds. the bartender has to consider their, and the other patrons', safety. that's why anyone trained to work a cash register is told to give up the money and not protest if there is a robbery--and to call the cops immediately after the threat is gone.

[ionicaq.livejournal.com]

You let the customer leave. It does say "Delay the passer if possible." It's not always possible. But, unless the person is actively trying to kill someone I doubt the Secret Service would understand returning the bill to them.

[ron_newman]

That's advice on a web page, but it doesn't say that you are legally required to do it. Also, I have no idea how to display or edit the form linked from "Counterfeit Note Report".

[ionicaq.livejournal.com]

Passing a known counterfeit bill is a felony. By handling the bill and realizing it was counterfeit and then giving it back to the customer it's a felony.

[ron_newman]

But you're not passing it. You're refusing to let the customer pass it. No different than if the customer gave you a pound sterling or a Euro -- "we don't take those here."

[ionicaq.livejournal.com]

The difference is that a pound sterling or a Euro is still legal tender, just not in the US. By knowingly handling a counterfeit bill and then letting someone else go on their merry way with it you are aiding a crime.

[firepail.livejournal.com]

I guess the bartender should have risked some mild bodily harm or a few blows to the head then.

[ionicaq.livejournal.com]

Thank you for being an idiot, idiots always make my day more entertaining.

[firepail.livejournal.com]

ditto.
you are the one encouraging people to put themselves at risk for a fake bill and a gold star from the secret service.
please!

[ionicaq.livejournal.com]

You're the one who's decided to misconstrue everything I've said.

[firepail.livejournal.com]

Really, I misconstrued you saying that you should get the fake bill back as long as the perpetrator wasn't actively trying to kill you? You are the one trying to convince us that the bartender committed a felony by not taking the counterfeit bill away from the criminal. I don't think that understanding why a bartender might choose the more cautious option of not taking the bill is being an idiot.

Relax.

[zmgmeister.livejournal.com]

You should see what a bill looks like under UV light.

I got my brother, who was a cashier at the time, one of those LED keychain lights but with an ultraviolet LED.

Did anyone see the movie

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Die Fälscher? Those guys were professionals!

Re: Did anyone see the movie

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

That was an amazing movie.