Petaluma merchants warned to watch out for counterfeits

<p>Downtown Petaluma merchants are being warned to carefully inspect paper money after counterfeit bills were used at the Boulevard Cinemas movie theater in the last week.</p><p>The Downtown Association, a merchants' group in Petaluma's core, issued an alert Tuesday morning.</p><p>It said theater employees have received two counterfeit $100 bills in the past five days, one of which was discovered before a purchase was made.</p><p>The bills apparently pass the “pen test” because they are smaller bills bleached and reprinted as $100s, the alert said. Merchants often test bills with a special pen that leaves a distinctive mark on some types of counterfeits.</p><p>Apparently, users have tried to purchase an inexpensive item with the fake bill to receive real money in change.</p><p>Merchants are being advised to inspect a bill's texture, printing quality and watermark, which should match the one printed on the bill.</p><p>“If you're not 100 percent sure about the bill, play it safe and don't take it,” the association recommended.</p><p>For more information about how to detect fake currency, visit: www.secretservice.gov/money_detect.shtml</p>