Counterfeit cash found on Hwy 701, people could have picked up fake bills

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Adults and children in the road grabbing cash and holding up traffic. That’s what some callers described to Bladen County 911 Sunday morning.

The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office says around 10:00 a.m., several people called 911 telling them about people in the highway in the 9000 block of US Hwy 701 N.

Deputies and White Lake Police responded to the area. No one was there when they arrived, but they did find money on the highway and the shoulders of the road.

Sheriff McVicker says officers collected a total of $34,465 in fake bills. They were made up of $100, $20, $10 and $5 bills.

“We have no idea where the money came from,” McVicker said. “We have notified the US Secret Service for assistance and will continue to investigate.”

McVicker said some of the bills were obviously counterfeit but some were more sophisticated and could have passed for real currency if the person taking the money was not alert.

Sheriff McVicker urges anyone who might have picked up some of this money  to please bring it to the Sheriff’s office.

He also advises local merchants to be particularly careful when accepting large denominations of currency.

“We have no idea how much of this fake money was picked up before law enforcement was notified and arrived on the scene,” he said.