The St. Augustine Police Department is seeking the public’s help identifying a person of interest connected to a counterfeiting incident at the Starbucks inside the Casa Monica Hotel.
According to authorities, a white male wearing a dark-colored backward baseball cap and a white T-shirt passed a fake $50 bill during a transaction at the Starbucks located at 95 Cordova Street in downtown St. Augustine.
If you recognize this individual or have any information, please contact Detective Capriglione at (904) 295-5029 or [email protected].
Some residents have shared reports of a rise in counterfeit bills circulating throughout the Old City on social media.
However, St. Augustine Police Department spokesperson Dee Brown said there has not been a significant increase in official counterfeit reports to local authorities.
Most local businesses rely on counterfeit detector pens as a first defense against bogus bills. These pens use iodine-based ink that reacts with the starch in common paper used for fake currency, turning dark when marking counterfeit bills.
Genuine U.S. currency, made from a cotton-linen blend, causes the ink to remain light or amber.
But the method is not infallible. Some sophisticated counterfeit bills can fool the test, and worn or old genuine bills may cause false positives. In some cases, counterfeit bills aren’t detected until they are rejected by banks during deposit.
Brown noted that fake bills are easier to pass during busy periods when staff has less time to scrutinize them.
