‘Hollywood Money’ Scam Hits South Jersey Stores – See Samples

Police in South Jersey are warning residents to be on the lookout for counterfeit movie money being passed off as actual currency.

This information is good for everyone to know, but especially important for workers and management in retail stores, where this is already happening.

Police Warn of 'Motion Picture Money'

According to a Facebook post from Gloucester Township Police, detectives are investigating several cases with which “Hollywood” or “Motion Picture” money was passed off as legitimate currency.

Police say the fake money is nearly visually identical to real money, including texture and size. There is one big difference, though.

In the places on the front of a real $20 bill where it says 'Federal Reserve Note' and 'United States of America', the fake bills say 'Motion Picture Use Only'.

Do They Really Use Movie Money in Films?

Yes, they do. Here's an explanation from propmoviemoney.com.

Prop money, often referred to as ‘fake dollar bills,’ is used by filmmakers, directors, photographers, and other creatives to engage viewers into believing real money is being used in a story.

 

This helps minimize the financial risk of shooting an important scene or capturing a picture that involves a lot of cash.

 

Bringing down the cost of production is important, but using prop movie money also helps reduce the risk of theft while shooting a luxurious scene, where stacks of cash are needed to portray the wealth of a main character.

Police Tell How to Know Bills Are Fake

Gloucester Township Police say store cashiers should take a better look at the money and use fraud detection devices.

The fake bills will not pass other security measures, such as counterfeit pens, counterfeit detector lights, or certain watermarks or holograms.

The problem is that most cashiers are not running random smaller denomination bills through security measures to ensure their legitimacy. A quick visual inspection of any bill will prevent fraud.

See an example of the fake movie money and more tips on how to detect bogus money on this Facebook post from the police.