New York State Police is currently investigating a case of fraud involving counterfeit $100 bills. The suspect is believed to have been using fake bills to purchase or load gift cards at several Dollar General stores in the northern part of New York State. The case has affected multiple areas including Jefferson County and Oswego County, with authorities urging businesses and the public to remain vigilant.
The investigation by state police revealed that the earliest incident occurred around 11:43 a.m. on July 25th at a Dollar General store in Black River village. An unidentified man entered the store and requested to load $500 onto an online gift card account, paying with five $100 bills. After the transaction was completed and the man left, the store clerk discovered that two of the bills had identical serial numbers upon further inspection, confirming that all five bills were counterfeit.
Further investigation showed that the same suspect subsequently targeted other Dollar General branches in the northern part of New York State. A similar incident took place at a Dollar General in Watertown, which is currently under investigation by the Watertown police.
Additionally, on July 28th, the suspect visited a Dollar General store in the village of Hannibal in Oswego County, attempting once again to load funds onto an online account with counterfeit bills. However, the transaction was refused by the store staff and immediately reported to the state police, preventing the suspect from succeeding.
Authorities describe the suspect as a 20 to 30-year-old African American male, standing approximately 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 6 inches tall with a slim build. During the crimes, he wore a black durag, a white tank top, black sweatpants, and red sneakers, believed to be driving a gray four-door sedan.
Multiple incidents indicate that the suspect specifically targets Dollar General discount stores, involving at least three known locations. Instead of purchasing items, the suspect focuses on buying or loading gift cards, using counterfeit bills for account top-ups. Once successfully loaded, the funds on the gift card become real money, causing losses to the stores if the fake bills go undetected.
Authorities are currently investigating the case under the charges of “fraud” and “possession of counterfeit documents,” urging anyone with information about the suspect or relevant clues to contact the New York State Police Watertown barracks at 315-782-2112, and provide the case number NY2600915189.
Furthermore, the local Sackets Harbor Chamber of Commerce has also alerted businesses to be cautious as several suspected counterfeit $100 bills have recently appeared in the community. These fake bills bear the 2006 version and appear shinier than genuine bills, with blurry watermarks. Businesses are reminded to carefully examine the security features when accepting large sums of cash. However, it has not been confirmed whether these fake bills are connected to the ongoing investigation by the state police.