Spike in Counterfeit Cases, 2 Reports from Maui

Photo by Wendy Osher.

Hawaiʻi Island police are warning the public about a spike in counterfeit cases in the Hilo and Puna districts.

In May, police investigated 23 counterfeit cases in those districts compared with seven cases in April and two cases in January through March.

Stores and restaurants have received counterfeit bills in $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 denominations.

In December, Maui police said there were counterfeit $50 bills circulating on the island, but the only recent reports of counterfeit activity on Maui included one case involving a counterfeit $100 bill on Molokaʻi in May and a case involving a counterfeit $100 bill in Wailuku in April, that according to Acting Sergeant Kaena Brown with the Maui Police Department.

Authorities say offenders often times use authentic $1 bills, and reprint a larger denomination on it, creating a false positive when utilizing a counterfeit pen.

The department offered a few tips when accepting large denomination bills, saying the public should be aware of security features and report suspicious bills to police.

Anyone who receives a counterfeit bill is urged to call the police to file a report.

Police ask anyone with information about who is producing or passing these bills to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. Crime Stoppers information is also kept confidential.