WOBURN, MA — Police are warning Woburn businesses to watch out for counterfeit cash, and there’s an easy way to spot this variety of the fake stuff.
Many of the phony bills carry markings that explain exactly what they are. “For Motion Picture Use Only” and “Movie Prop Use Only” are displayed on the imitation currency, police said.
In addition, some of the counterfeit bills show identical serial numbers, do not include distinct watermarks, have smudged printing, or feel much smoother than real cash – which utilizes raised printing.
A statement from Woburn police said merchants in the city have been duped by the counterfeits, but no details were provided. “We encourage our local businesses to be vigilant when accepting cash for payment,” the police said.
While recent technology advancements have made it more difficult to realistically reproduce cash, movie-prop money can be easily and legitimately purchased online.
“As attempts to thwart counterfeiting have continued, ‘funny money’ has taken on new forms, including the use of ‘prop money’ — that is, fake money made for use as on-camera props in films or television,” ABC News reported in 2024.
“As a result, and despite non-criminal intentions, Hollywood is apparently home to one of the largest stashes of counterfeit currency.”
Between $70 million and $200 million in counterfeit U.S. bills are in circulation at any given time, the federal Treasury Department has estimated.
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