Counterfeit bills used in Boy Scout fundraiser
Counterfeit $100 bills could possibly be circulating in the area.
Boy Scout Troop said a man bought $300 worth of fireworks at their stand in Desert Hot Springs. When they went to deposit the cash at the bank, the troop was told the bills were fake.
“To us, it’s a lot of money. $10 is a lot of money, so imagine $300,” said Guillermo Giron, the Scoutmaster for the troop.
Troop leaders said the funds raised at the stand go towards helping kids who can’t afford to join the boy scouts on their own.
“We wanna make sure we keep these doors open for everybody and that every youth in Desert Hot Springs has the opportunity to join these units and be surrounded by positive role models,” said Sue Giron, a troop leader for Troop 1606.
The bank confiscated the bills and filed a report with the Secret Service.
The troop said they had a counterfeit bill detector pen that they had purchased from Sam’s Club. However, when they ran the counterfeit detector over the bills, it appeared to pass the test.
After losing the $300, they went out and purchased an electronic counterfeit detector, a more reliable way to detect fake cash.
Giron shared some tips to he now learned to help spot a fake $100 bill. He says real bills have textured ridges you can feel and a water spot on the right side with the face of Benjamin Franklin when held up to the light.
Older $100 bills have a little trick to look for in the bottom right corner. When you see it face forward, it is green but when turned to the side, the bill appears black.
The troop said some good has come out of the situation.
“Yesterday afternoon, a gentlemen came up and gave us $100 donation and this morning a lady came up and gave us a $50 donation,” said Sue Giron. “So when we take this story back, it will be that learning experience that there are good people on this earth and to find the positive in every story.”
If you spot counterfeit bills, you are encouraged to turn them in at your bank or local police station.
If you’d like to get in touch with Troop #1606, you can email them at DHSScouts@AOL.com or call them at (760)-432-8621. You can also find on Facebook here.
For more tips on identifying counterfeit bills, click here.
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