CLERMONT, Fla. – As businesses look to cash in on the busy holiday season, police say crooks are trying to cash out at those businesses using counterfeit money.
Asif Mohamed owns BURGERIM on South Highway 27 in Clermont. He said each year around the holidays he sees about a 20% boost in business.
“Business does increase throughout the holidays and we try to capitalize on that,” said Mohamed.
This year, days before Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping, he has a message for other businesses.
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“We work hard to make an honest living and these scammers come around trying to take our money. I’m not going to have any of that,” said Mohamed.
He’s talking about a man, captured on his surveillance camera, who he said came inside his restaurant Monday with counterfeit money. Clermont police are investigating and working to identify and track the man down.
“He came in with a $50 bill, asked for change and then she ran it through the machine, it failed her. So she gave it back to him and he basically hurried out of here,” said Mohamed.
During the holiday season and with so many customers, Mohamed said businesses need to verify if money is real. For the larger bills, his restaurant uses a bill scanner.
The U.S. Secret Service offers more tips to tell if a bill is counterfeit on its website.
“It does seem to happen a lot during the holidays. Just educate your employees and make sure you’re checking money as it’s coming in,” said Sgt. Erin Razo with Clermont Police Department.
Clermont police said they’re also searching for a man seen at the 7-Eleven at 998 East Highway 50 with counterfeit cash back on Nov. 16.
“He’s accused of going in the store with $1,200 of counterfeit money, purchasing a few gift cards in the amount of $900 and exchanging another $100 bill for cash back,” said Sgt Razo.
They said he got into a black Chevrolet SUV with two other people and took off. The tag number is B6UCE.
If you know anything about these two cases, call Clermont police.
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