Humboldt Sheriff warns of counterfeit $100 bills, urges cash checks

A run of counterfeit $100 bills is threatening cash drawers across Humboldt County, and the loss often lands on the clerk or small business that accepts the fake note first.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said deputies have seized a significant number of counterfeit $100 bills over the past several weeks. The warning is aimed at residents and businesses that handle cash quickly, where a single bad bill can slip into the till before anyone notices.

Deputies are urging people to use the Look, Feel and Tilt method before accepting a $100 bill. Genuine notes should feel slightly rough because of raised printing, and the paper is a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. When the bill is tilted and held to light, a real $100 should show a blue 3-D security ribbon, a color-shifting numeral in the lower right corner, a color-shifting bell in the inkwell, a security thread that reads “USA 100,” and a Benjamin Franklin watermark.

The $100 note is the largest denomination of U.S. currency currently issued by the Federal Reserve Board, which makes it a common target for counterfeiters and a painful one for local merchants if it passes undetected. The sheriff’s office said the warning is meant to stop fake bills before they become part of daily sales, where the loss can be hard to recover.

The Secret Service says counterfeit threats continue to evolve because of advances in technology and the availability of scanning and printing devices. That broader problem is part of why the local warning matters: fake notes are not just a nuisance, but a persistent risk to the cash economy that still supports many Humboldt businesses.

Anyone who receives a suspicious bill should try to remember who handed it over, where it happened and how the bill was received, then report it to local police or a local Secret Service field office. As of Nov. 1, 2024, the Secret Service no longer accepts electronic submissions of suspected counterfeit notes through the USDollars website.

For cashiers, clerks and owners in Humboldt County, the advice is simple: slow down, feel the paper, check the security features and tilt the bill before it disappears into the register. A few extra seconds at the counter can prevent a direct hit to the day’s cash flow.