Fake Money Being Passed At Amarillo Garage Sales

Amarillo Police have a new warning out for anyone hosting a garage sale - check your money! There is no shortage of garage sales every weekend here in Amarillo and all across the panhandle. Unfortunately, crooks are always looking for a new way to scam the innocent, and now it looks like they are targeting garage sales.

Counterfeit $20 bills were passed over the weekend at a neighborhood garage sale. Police have released a description of the criminals as a white female, age 30-40 and a Hispanic male, mid 40's, in an older white Dodge truck. Amarillo PD is asking for anyone with information to please contact them.

If you are planning a garage sale, there are some things you can do to protect yourself from accepting counterfeit currency. Check out the video above on "How To Authenticate U.S. Currency." Know what to look for to quickly identify fake money. The $20, for instance, features subtle background colors of green and peach. The $20 note includes an embedded security thread that glows green when illuminated by UV light. When held to light, a portrait watermark of President Jackson is visible from both sides of the note. In addition, the note includes a color-shifting numeral 20 in the lower right corner of the note. The U.S. Currency Education Program website is a great resource to learn about all the security features of each denomination.