Counterfeit bills resembling movie props have resurfaced in Cortez.
The most recent occurred Thursday when an employee at Handy Mart South on South Broadway in Cortez told police an older customer attempted to pay for a scratch-off lottery ticket with a $100 bill marked “For Motion Picture Purposes.”
According to a Cortez Police Department report, the Handy Mart South clerk refused to accept the bill. The customer then withdrew legitimate cash from the store’s ATM to complete the purchase. The clerk stated the business did not lose money during the transaction.
The officer’s report said the store’s owner uses a surveillance system and plans to review video footage of the incident. Police listed the case as inactive because the person in the video has not been identified.
Thursday’s report follows a wave of similar incidents in recent years. The department has recorded multiple cases since July 2023, often involving counterfeit $5, $10 and $50 bills, as well as the occasional $100 bill. These scams commonly target Cortez businesses and fast-food chains. Some of the bills also say “Copy Money” or “For Motion Picture Uses.”
In 2023, the department flagged an influx of counterfeit $5 bills, many bearing the identical serial number PK42691282A, which turned up Four Corners Community bank slip deposits from the Fiesta Theater, Slavens Hardware and the Cork and Bottle liquor store. Other attempts involved fake $5 and $10 bills labeled “Copy Money” and “For Motion Picture Purposes” at McDonald’s, Burger King and Four Corners Community Bank.
No arrests have been made in Thursday’s incident.
Police urged businesses and shoppers to examine the texture and quality of bills carefully and report suspected counterfeits. Counterfeit money may feel strange or have odd markings. Other indicators include missing holograms and security threads, police said.
