FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011
VOL. 20 NO. 150
Watch out for counterfeit cash warn Berlin police BY MELISSA GRIMA THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
BERLIN — Small denominations of counterfeit bills have been turning up in Berlin, most notably, at the police department. Twice in the past week counterfeit bills have been submitted to the Berlin Police Department as payment — one fake $10 bill was received as payment for a parking ticket and a second was received as payment for a pistol permit application. At their monthly meeting on Thursday morning, Chief Peter Morency told the police commissioners that these smaller denomination counterfeits were just now turning up and were difficult to identify at first glance. They are based on the older version of the $10 bill that was printed from 1996 to 2003 and carry a brown mark to make it appear as though they have been checked for validity. Morency said that although earlier this year the city saw some counterfeit $20 bills, but the $10 bills are
BERLIN, N.H.
new. “I think it just started,” Morency said. With two bills now in police possession, he added, the detectives are looking into it and have contacted the Secret Service, which handles counterfeiting investigations. Morency said that no banks or merchants have yet contacted Berlin police about counterfeit bills, but also noted that the advantage to counterfeiting small bills is that they are less likely to be scrutinized. He said that he does anticipate some reports from stores and banks now that the word is out to be vigilant and does not expect that the two bills received by the department are isolated. While the fake bills appear on their face to be real, Morency said that both the police department and local banks have special equipment, in the form of lights, to detect counterfeits. He said it is important for people to be checking their money so they do not inadvertently pass off counterfeit currency or get caught with worthless cash.
FREE
752-5858
Counterfeit front
Counterfeit reverse This $10 bill is not what it seems. Berlin Police say that despite appearing like a typical 2003 printing of the bill, it is in fact counterfeit. In this case, the counterfeiters even went so far as to mark the bill to make it look as if it had been checked for validity. They are asking that people be vigilant about their checking the security features on their cash to prevent circulating more of these fake bills. (MELISSA GRIMA PHOTO)
New report looks at substance U. S. Treasury security features abuse and Coos County youth BY BARBARA TETREAULT THE BERLIN DAILY SUN
COOS COUNTY - A new report reveals that young people in Coos County who feel connected to their communities are less likely to report substance abuse problems. The researchers, Karen Van Gundy and Megan Mills of the Carsey Institute at the University of N.H., used data gathered from 564 Coos youth in seventh and eleventh grades in 2008 and then again in 2009. The report found that 22 percent of boys and 23 percent of girls reported at least one alcohol or drug use-related problem. Half of those who reported a problem said they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they were doing an activity, such as driving, swimming, or climbing, where they could have gotten hurt. Half of the boys said they had been under the influence of drugs or alcohol at work or school. Alcohol use was more prevalent with about 47 percent of girls and 51 percent of boys reported drinking in
berlindailysun.com
the previous six months. In contrast, 24 percent of girls and 30 percent of boys reported using drugs during that time. The report notes that rural youth often begin to experience substance abuse problems earlier in life than their urban counterparts. At the same time, the report said rural youth may be especially vulnerable to stress and social strains due to declining economies. The survey found that girls reported more interpersonal and family stress than boys although boys reported more exposure to physical conflict. The researchers said their analyses showed exposure to stress in 2008 resulted in elevated youth risk for substance abuse problems in the 2009 survey results. “From our findings it seems clear that social stress is associated with problem alcohol or drug use among Coos youth,” the report stated. While rural youth can feel more stress - leading to alcohol and drug problems - there are also important see REPORT page 7
According to the US Treasury website, bills printed after 1996 include the following security features: Security Thread: A security thread is a thin thread or ribbon running through a bank note substrate. All 1990 series and later notes, except the $1 and $2 notes, include this feature. The note’s denomination is printed on the thread. In addition, the threads of the new $5, $10, $20 and $50 notes have graphics in addition to the printed denomination. The denomination number appears in the star field of the flag printed on the thread. The thread in the new notes glows when held under a long-wave ultraviolet light. In the new $5 note it glows blue, in the new $10 note it glows orange, in the new $20 note it glows green, in the new $50 note it glows yellow, and in the new $100 note it glows red. Since it is visible in transmitted light, but not in reflected light, the thread is difficult to copy with a color copier which uses reflected light to generate an image. Watermark: The watermark is formed by varying paper density in
BANKRUPTCY or CRIMINAL DEFENSE Free InitialM eeting
S m all& Lyons A ttorneys 1-800-373-1114 (a debtreliefagency)
a small area during the papermaking process. The image is visible as darker and lighter areas when held up to the light. Since the watermark does not copy on color copiers or scanners, it makes it harder to use lower denomination paper to print counterfeit notes in higher denominations and is a good way to authenticate the note. It depicts the same historical figure as the engraved portrait. Color-Shifting Inks: These inks, used in the numeral on the lower right corner of the face of the note, change color when the note is viewed from different angles. The ink appears green when viewed directly and changes to black when the note is tilted. Fine-Line Printing Patterns: This type of line structure appears normal to the human eye but is difficult for current copying and scanning equipment to resolve properly. The lines are found behind the portrait on the front and around the historic building on the back. Enlarged Off-Center Portraits: The larger portrait can incorporate see SECURITY page 7
Open Sundays 11am to 4pm until Christmas!
107 Main St, Berlin, NH • 752-1520 • www.greetingsjewelers.com