In many instances, the counterfeit bills have markings indicating that the bill is “prop” money with writing such as “for motion picture purposes”, “this note is for motion picture purposes it is not legal tender”, “motion picture purposes”, and “in props we trust” on either the front or the back of the bill.
The Hawai‘i Police Department encourages the public and retail employees to thoroughly inspect all U.S. currency and to notify police if they come across fraudulent bills in order to prevent the monetary loss of goods or services. Taking note of individual characteristics of the person presenting the counterfeit bill along with their behavior patterns may assist law enforcement in identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting suspects.
People can also protect themselves against falling susceptible to counterfeit bills by learning about the different security features of denominations of U.S. currency at The Seven Denominations | U.S. Currency Education Program (uscurrency.gov). If you’ve fallen victim to counterfeit bills, please contact the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.