St. Maart: Monopoly money alert!

PHILIPSBURG - Several businesses in Philipsburg, including a Chinese restaurant, a clothing store and a jewellery shop, have fallen victims to counterfeit US $5 and $10 bank notes over the past week.

The storeowner told The Daily Herald that after realising that a $10 bill he had received in the latter part of last week was a counterfeit, he had alerted the nearby businesses. Due to his alert, the other businesses also found counterfeit notes.

However, it was too late to identify the customer from whom the notes were received, as the counterfeits were found some time after the purchases were made. The notes are not easily detectable if handed in with other bills. On close inspection, the paper on which the bills are printed is denser than a genuine bank note, the portrait of Alexander Hamilton on the $10 is slightly larger than it should be and there is no shifting ink on the lower left hand side.