NEEDVILLE, Texas – The City of Needville Police Department has gone to Facebook to warn people that counterfeit money has been circulating throughout the Needville area.
According to The Federal Reserve’s website, you can detect if a U.S. dollar bill is counterfeit by looking at its security features. These features include security threads, which are visible when held up to a U.V. light, and official watermarks, which contain unique hidden images on each bill if looked at closely.
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For example, an official U.S. $5 bill will have a security thread to the right of its portrait of Abraham Lincoln and is imprinted with the letters “USA” and the numeral five in an alternating pattern. The bill’s watermark, the numeral five, will be located in the blank space to the right of the portrait and is visible from both sides of the note.
Each U.S. dollar bill has its own unique set of security features to differentiate itself from its forgery. You can visit uscurrency.gov for more information on which security details to look for on each bill.
If you happen to come across suspicious bills, The U.S. Department of the Treasury advises that you:
- Don’t put yourself in danger.
- Don’t return the bill to the passer.
- Delay the passer with some excuse, if possible.
- Observe the passer’s description - and their companions’ descriptions - and write down their vehicle license plate numbers, if you can.
- Contact your local police department or call your local U.S. Secret Service Office.
- Write your initials and date in the white border area of the suspected counterfeit note.
- DO NOT handle the counterfeit note. Place it inside a protective cover, a plastic bag, or an envelope to protect it until you place it in the hands of an identified Secret Service Agent.
- Surrender the note or coin only to a properly identified police officer or a Secret Service Special Agent, or mail it to your nearest U.S. Secret Service field office.