The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents and local businesses that counterfeit money is circulating in the county, Sheriff Derek Norman said in an alert issued Thursday, October 22.
Sheriff Norman encouraged the public to remain cautious when handling cash transactions, according to the sheriff’s office warning reported Thursday. The office is advising business owners, employees and residents to carefully inspect money they receive.
The sheriff’s office said people should take particular care with larger bills, which could result in significant financial losses if the money turns out to be counterfeit. A business that unknowingly accepts a fake bill generally cannot recover that loss from the customer who passed it.
Cash-heavy businesses are often the first to encounter counterfeit bills, because a fake note passed at a busy counter may not be noticed until the day’s receipts are counted. By then the person who passed it is gone, which is why the sheriff’s office is asking people to look closely at the money in the moment they receive it.
Officials are urging anyone who suspects they have received fake currency to report the incident rather than attempt to use the money in another transaction. Passing along a bill a person believes may be counterfeit can create legal trouble as well as a loss for the next person who takes it.
Anyone who believes they have encountered counterfeit bills, or who has information about their circulation, is encouraged to contact the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at 740-472-1612, extension 2.
The warning is not limited to store purchases. Residents who accept cash in private sales, or who receive larger bills as change, are also being asked to inspect what they are handed, particularly larger bills, before the transaction is finished.
The sheriff’s office has not released details about the denominations involved, the number of reported incidents, or where in the county the counterfeit money has been discovered. Sheriff Norman asked residents to share the warning to help prevent additional incidents and keep the community informed.
Monroe County’s seat is Woodsfield, and the warning applies to cash transactions across the county, from store counters to private sales, as deputies work to identify where the fake bills are coming from.