HICKORY, N.C. -- The Secret Service is assisting police in a western North Carolina town as they try to get to the bottom of an outbreak of counterfeit cash.
The Hickory Daily Record reports local police have collected 36 fake bills in denominations ranging from $5 to $100. All but one of the bills has been turned in since Jan. 6.
The bogus money is worth $785 all together, and it's been used at local businesses ranging from restaurants to convenience stores.
In addition to protecting the president, the Secret Service also investigates counterfeiting operations.
Maj. Clyde Deal of the Hickory Police Department says advances in computer technology have made it easier than ever to produce realistic-looking fake bills.
