By Jalen Maki

Tomahawk Leader Co-Editor

The Merrill Police Department and other central Wisconsin law enforcement agencies have seen an uptick in reports of counterfeit currency, according to a post on the Department’s Facebook page.

According to the post from Friday (July 26), photocopies of $5, $10, and $20 bills have been reported. The post states the photocopies are “relatively easy to detect, most notably by the white edges along the sides of the notes and the poor color quality.”

The post also states that counterfeit $100 bills have been reported, and that they “typically have some sort of Chinese writing on the front and/or back of the bills.” In some cases, the word “copy” can be found in the upper left corner on the front of the bill, the post continues.

The department recommends using counterfeit detection pens, along with a physical examination of the bill(s) in question, to determine legitimacy.

If you come into possession of counterfeit bills, or have any additional questions, contact the Merrill Police Department at 715-536-8311 or your local law enforcement agency.

Photos from the Merrill Police Department.