A flurry of fake money is falling in Waterloo. Police Captain Bruce Arends says they’ve had counterfeit cash appear in at least eight Waterloo businesses in the past several days.The bills are being passed at businesses from lumber yards to convenience stores. The counterfeiters are preying on businesses when they’re very busy and are less likely to notice the questionable bills. Captain Arends says they’ve been getting fake 20s, 50s and 100s. He says merchants and consumers need to be aware of the situation and be watchful for the funny money. He suggests comparing any questionable bill with one that’s known to be genuine. Arends says the fakes in these cases are light blue in hue, the borders are cut unevenly, and the printing is not as sharp and distinct as real bills. A few other tipoffs should help merchants avoid being taken. The texture of the paper is not as course as a real bill. There’s no watermark of the various presidents on the side of the bill and there’s no embedded strip reading “U-S-A” and the bill’s denomination.
