The Mattoon Police Department has issued a public service announcement this week informing citizens and local business owners of a rise in counterfeit currency related incidents. Businesses are advised to hold any suspicious currency for police to investigate, and to not provide change to whomever passed the suspicious currency. Anyone passing suspicious currency can be advised they are welcome to await police arrival for their currency to be investigated. Should those passing suspicious currency flee the business, employees there are advised to attempt to gain vehicle description and license plate information if it is safe to do this. The announcement was released by the Mattoon Police Department after the arrest of two Indiana residents that passed counterfeit $100 bills at a total of eleven businesses in the Mattoon and Charleston area earlier this month.
