It may look real but it's definitely a fake.
Money meant for movies and television sets are now ending up on the streets of Olathe.
"People are presenting these at everywhere from retail stores to private sales that people find things online to purchase," said Detective Brian Peters of the Olathe Police Department, who has handled more than two dozen cases involving this phony money.
Movie prop money looks like the real thing until you take a closer look. You will see the words "For Motion Picture Use Only" printed on the front and back of the bill.
"People aren't taking the time to look at the bills. I think we've gotten into such a hurry and we try and get transactions done so quick that people aren't paying attention to what they were handed," said Peters.
The money is readily available online for sale and it is completely legal to buy. On websites, like Etsy and Ebay, you can purchase a stack of 100 fake $100 bills for $24-- that comes out to 25-cents apiece.
Police say if you try and use the fake bills for transactions, it's a felony.
How to Spot Fake Money
There are several ways to ensure a $100 bill is the real thing, according to police.
- Security Thread: Hold the note to light to see an embedded thread running to the left of the portrait, it will be imprinted with USA and the numeral 100.
- 3-D Security Ribbon: Tilt the note back and forth while focusing on the blue ribbon, it should change to 100s as they move.
- Watermark: hold the note to the light and look for a faint image of Benjamin Franklin in the blank space to the right of the portrait.
- Color-shifting Ink: tile the note to see the numeral 100 in the lower right corner of the note shift from copper to green.
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Ariel Rothfield can be reached at Ariel.Rothfield@KSHB.com.
