Fake cash found circulating in Swansea; police investigating

SWANSEA, Ill. — A Shiloh, Illinois, woman recently walked away with counterfeit cash in her change after visiting a store in Swansea. The fake money could easily be overlooked by anyone in a hurry when handed over crumpled up, but bartender Ellen Taylor discovered the counterfeit bills after arriving at her workplace. Taylor said she noticed something unusual about the bills when she touched them while working her shift. “I looked at them and I felt them and I thought something was odd,” Taylor said. “This is, like, smooth; like copy paper.” A closer look revealed that the currency was not real government money, featuring improper wording and identical identification markings across the bills. “It says the ‘United States of Origami,’” Taylor said. “And then all of the numbers on it are exactly the same. So, I mean, at least they got the president correct.” Taylor reported receiving the cash at a Walgreens store in Swansea.

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