Countywide : Warning Issued on Counterfeit $20 Bills
Investigators have issued a warning to Ventura County merchants to beware of counterfeit money that may still be in circulation after the arrest of a narcotics and counterfeiting ring.
Most of the bogus currency is $20 bills, but a few $100 bills may also be in circulation, investigators said.
“We do not know how much is out there,” said Clint Howard, special agent in charge of the Los Angeles office of the Secret Service.
The paper used in the phony money does not contain the red and blue security fibers found in legitimate currency, according to Oxnard Police, who took part in the investigation. The bills also have a fuzzy appearance and loss of detail in the printing, police said.
The bills bear the letter “L” and the Federal Reserve seal to the left of the portrait, making it appear that the bills were printed at the San Francisco Federal Reserve bank. To the upper left of the “L” is a small letter “b,” followed by the number “4.” On the lower right is a small “b” followed by the number “123.”
Anyone who encounters one of the phony bills is asked to call Oxnard Police or the Secret Service.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
