The Marshalltown Police Department has taken 5 reports of counterfeit $50 bills in the last ten days.  Businesses and individuals should be on the look out for any bills that do not feel or look like real money, especially in $50 denominations. Businesses are usually equipped with special pens to identify fake bills, but these pens are not endorsed by the U.S. Secret Service as a method of identifying fake bills since this method of identification can be unreliable.  Most fake bills can be identified by close inspection.  Some good identifiers of fake bills are: improper ink color, bills of varying size, uneven outside margins or absence of watermarks or security strips. None of the bills recovered have had any of the watermarks or security strips and one even had an upside down reverse side. 

If anyone comes across what they feel to be a counterfeit bill, or they believe someone is trying to pass them a counterfeit bill, they are encouraged to contact the police department immediately.