(Watertown, NY – July 2014)Reports have been filed recently that counterfeit money is being used at farmers markets throughout the Northeast.
Penn State Extension recently sent out a public announcement that counterfeit $100 bills have been used at multiple markets. The release states, “The perpetrators generally buy $10 to $20 worth of goods and pay with a $100 bill, getting change for the rest. These bills will pass a normal fraud check since they are made with bleached $5 bills, so please be on the lookout for any money that looks suspicious and alert your farmers as well.”
No reports of counterfeit bills have been reported at any Jefferson County farmers markets at this time.
“As a precaution watch out for people paying their $10 and $20 tabs with $100 bills and wanting a lot of change. Check the watermarks in the bill they were using $5 bills so it will be Lincoln’s picture not Ben Franklin so the pictures won’t match,” said Steve Ledoux, Local Foods Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County. “If it seems a little odd to you just tell the customer you can’t make change and ask them to pay in smaller bills. If you think you have taken a counterfeit bill contact the market manager and the police and try to remember who you got it from. Your regular customers probably won’t be the problem so don’t panic or be alarmed just be vigilante.”