Counterfeit $100 Bills Hit Four Dundee Businesses in Two-Day Span

Dundee Police Department discovered fake $100 bills at four locations in the Monroe County village. This happened over just two days. Subway, Hungry Howie's, Jimmy John's, and a carryout all got hit between Sunday and Monday.

The crooks bought food with the bills and pocketed real cash as change. One person paid with a $100 bill at Subway on Tecumseh Street on Monday. Another used one at Hungry Howie's on Cabelas Boulevard East on Sunday, based on receipts authorities shared online.

Most bills carried identical serial numbers.

Security camera footage from inside one restaurant captured a man passing off a phony bill. Officers determined at least two people took part in these crimes. After posting the video to social media, authorities discovered that several other police agencies were chasing the same criminals.

"We found we had matching serial numbers and similar suspects," said Officer Brian Biegajski, according to 13abc. "We have multiple suspects now at multiple agencies, and we are working together, comparing notes."

Investigators now think this operation involves a bigger ring spreading across southeast Michigan. The counterfeit activity includes many individuals using the bills in various places throughout the metro area.

Similar incidents have been reported in Saline in Washtenaw County and in Highland Township and Milford in Oakland County. Officers from Saline and Shelby Township are teaming up with Dundee investigators.

The fake bills use an old design from 1988. They're missing the security markers found on modern currency. There's no strip on the left, no hologram on the right.

"Also, they're marking it with a marker to make it look like it has been checked prior, so the people are feeling confident that it's a real bill and not checking it a second time," explained Officer Biegajski.

Authorities say business owners should turn down the cash if they have doubts about whether it's real. Police ask anyone who gets a suspected counterfeit bill to report it.

The investigation stays active as law enforcement agencies across the region work to identify and find all suspects involved in the operation.