Fake $50 Bills Surface At Several Businesses

CLAYTON — The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after counterfeit $50 bills were passed or attempted at several businesses in the Flowers community near Clayton.

All of the incidents occurred during the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 12.

Authorities said a counterfeit $50 bill was successfully passed at Smithfield Chicken ’N Bar-B-Q, Publix and Harris Teeter.

Attempts were also made to use fake $50 bills at Hershey’s Ice Cream and Pure Green, but those transactions were not completed.

In one of the transactions, a business employee used a counterfeit-detection marker on the $50 bill before accepting it. The marker indicated the bill was legitimate, but the business later discovered it was counterfeit.

The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate and is urging businesses in the area to be alert for counterfeit currency.