Green Bay Police seize over $1,000 in fake money, warn of circulation

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Green Bay Police are warning of counterfeit cash being passed around the city.

The fake money will often be marked with the terms “replica” or “motion picture money.” Recently, officers have been finding fake bills that appear to have the “replica” scratched off.

Over the past six weeks, fake cash has been found in seven cases with denominations from $1 to $100.

Officers have seized $1,022 worth of fake money.

The suspects have been spending the fake money at convenience stores. Some suspects are found with the fake money when they are arrested for other crimes.

“We suggest that if something appears to be off about the currency that you’re being handed, such as the texture or print, do not accept it, request another form of payment, and contact us or your local law enforcement agency immediately, so we can catch whoever is trying to knowingly defraud you,” said Commander Kevin Warych, Green Bay Police Department. “While counterfeit cash and ‘REPLICA’ or ‘MOTION PICTURE’ money are not anything new, we recently confiscated some ‘REPLICA’ money that had appeared to have ‘REPLICA’ scratched off with possible intent to make the money appear real. It’s also uncommon to see lower counterfeit denominations like $1 or $5, so beware.”

Passing fake money is a felony in Wisconsin that comes with up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

If you have information, call police.