By Melanie Williamson
The Erie County Sheriff’s Office was called in by the manager of the Dollar General store on Route 60 with the complaint that they had received a counterfeit bill. After inspector the $100 bill, the deputy reported that the paper was wrong, the bill was missing water marks, a counterfeit marker used on it showed it was fake, and “motion picture use only” was printed on the bill.
The manager and a cashier working when the bill was accepted reported that they only had two people pay with $100 bills that day. One was a regular and the other was described as a pregnant lady with an older woman and a child, who were unfamiliar to them and not regulars.
The manager stated that they do not have cameras in the parking lot, but she would try to get a copy of the store security camera from the day before. The deputy advised them to call the sheriff’s department if the women they saw came into the store again.
Over the summer, several vendors set up at the Fish Festival and at least one local retail store reported receiving counterfeit money. In response to this concern, the Vermilion Police Department offered a program for merchants on how to spot counterfeit money.
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