SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman is warning others to count their money before they walk out of a store or bank after she claims she got two counterfeit bills at a local bank and didn’t realize it until it was too late.
Linda Metz was paying her light bill when the cashier told her the bills she was handing them were fake.
“I didn’t pay attention because I didn’t open the envelope until I was at HEB,” Metz said.
Metz says she withdrew about $800 out of her bank account. Two of the $100 bills were fake.
She said she returned to her bank and filed a police report.
Now Metz wants to warn others about her experience.
“You can’t trust nobody no more, even your own bank!” she exclaimed, urging people to count their money.
Metz’s bank did not return the money to Metz. It issued the following statement to KSAT:
“Thank you for reaching out. We take these matters very seriously, and review and investigate counterfeit bill reports according to regulatory guidance. Questions about this specific incident should be referred to relevant law enforcement agencies.”
John Heasley with Texas Bankers Association says with more than $70 million in fraudulent bills circulating in the U.S., some bills get through banking systems. He says people should be familiar with how bills look and try to spot fakes.
“That’s not always easy because, as you know, printing technology is evolving like everything else, and so some counterfeits are better than others,” Heasley said.
He encourages people to use the Cash Assist Mobile App, which helps people find identifying markers on bills with a quick scan.