Expert Offers Advice On Identifying Counterfeit Bill

A local financial expert says the best way to identify counterfeit money that has been reported in the Cheyenne area is by feeling the paper the money is printed on.

First Education Federal Credit Union Vice-President Ann Lucas echoes statements by Cheyenne Police Department spokesman Dan Long that the counterfeit bills that have been identified in Laramie County are not high-quality forgeries.

She says a close examination of the bills will reveal microprinting that is inaccurate and doesn't look like real money.

But Lucas says the biggest and most obvious red flag with the phony money is the texture and feel of the paper the money is printed on. She says it ''just feels different" than real money, adding the difference is immediately noticeable when compared to legitimate bills.

She says the first thing people should do when checking to see if money is a forgery is "take your gloves off and feel that bill".

Lucas says that while most of the forgeries turned up in the Cheyenne area have been $20 bills, a few phony $50 bills have also been reported.