Local law enforcement agencies, including the Cuero Police Department, are urging businesses to inspect currency before accepting it for purchases.
The Port Lavaca Police Department issued an alert about phony bills clearly marked, “For Motion Picture Purposes” being used on March 16.
“These bills are not legal currency, yet they are being passed during transactions,” the alert said.
The alert advised businesses to train cashiers and other employees to check bills carefully, especially larger denominations. Legitimate currency will never bear wording like, “For Motion Picture Use,” “Prop Money” or similar working, it said.
Prop money is made to look like the real thing, even though federal regulations require some wording on the bills to indicate they are not legal tender, according to Prop Money, Inc., a company that markets the product.
“These replicas are designed to resemble authentic currency, with intricate details and similar dimensions,” the company’s promotional materials say.
The fake money used on the sets of movie and TV productions sometimes gets into circulation after being stolen, lost or misused. The U.S. Secret Service urges business to look for markings indicating it is prop money, missing security features and unusual paper texture or printing quality.
Businesses are advised to refuse money that is questionable and to report the activity to law enforcement.
“Taking a few seconds to check bills can prevent your business from taking a loss,” the local alert said. “Please help spread the word and remind staff to stay alert.”
