Fake money reported in Moses Lake, Tri-Cities

MOSES LAKE - The Moses Lake Police Department has received numerous calls of fraud in January, including seven cases of counterfeit money allegedly being used in the past week.

The Tri-City Herald also reported about a half dozen cases where fake bills have turned up recently in Kennewick.

Moses Lake Police Capt. Dave Ruffin said cases involving fake bills usually come in spurts, but determining suspects or sources of the money becomes a problem.

"Sometime it's difficult to identify the suspect and show that they had knowledge (the bill was fake)," Ruffin said.

According to police reports, no arrests have been made in any of the cases involving counterfeit bills. Bills used ranged from $10 to $100. The $100 bill was used at Tacos El Rey on West Broadway Drive, and the information was passed along to the U.S. Secret Service, according to a Moses Lake police report. The Secret Service is responsible for investigating counterfeit investigations. According to the annual report released by the Secret Service, more than $154 million in passed and seized counterfeit currency was recovered in 2011, and more about 2,500 arrests were made in the U.S.

"The fact of the matter is people continue to try to be smarter than the system," Ruffin said.

Ruffin said typically an officer will try to follow up with any leads and try to identify any suspects. The department investigates the money, looking for similar characteristics including numbers and paper.

"Usually what happens is we work the case as much as we can then we send the bills to the Secret Service," Ruffin said.

According to the Secret Service, advancements in digital printing and personal computers have made it easier to create passable counterfeit bills. According to the annual report, about 60 percent of counterfeit currency passed in the U.S. were produced using digital printing in 2011, compared to less than 1 percent in 1995.

Kevin Miller, resident agent in charge at the Spokane field office, said basic counterfeit bills can be made using a 3-in-1 printer. Individuals doing this typically make small amounts of money, according to Miller

Miller said his office hasn't seen a jump lately in counterfeit bills in Eastern Washington and the number of cases are miniscule if compared to the amount of money in circulation in Moses Lake.

"Generally, most people can tell if it's counterfeit," Ruffin said. "If they just don't look right, they're probably not right."

Ruffin said to call the police department if an individual or business suspects they have been given a counterfeit bill. Comparing a bill to another bill can also be useful in detecting a counterfeit. A number of security features appear on each bill and looking for the security thread and watermark are ways to check for any counterfeits. For specific information, visit secretservice.org.