Police investigating counterfeit money circulating around town

At least four cases of counterfeit $50 bills are being investigated in the Mountain Home area by city police and the United States Treasury Department.

Of the four cases of counterfeit bills being discovered by merchants, three occurred in the last week.

Merchants using special markers that can identify counterfeit money, or who simply hold them up to the light to check on the watermarks that can't be faked by counterfeiters, have found four of the bills almost immediately, but according Sgt. Rick Viola of the Mountain Home Police Department, "that doesn't necessarily mean the person passing the money is the bad guy. They could be a victim as well."

Anyone who identifies a counterfeit bill should report it immediately to the Mountain Home Police Department by calling 587-2101.