DUNMORE, Pa. — Police in Dunmore are now looking for a man who was caught on camera, passing fake $100 bills to several businesses.
In a surveillance picture taken at Cara Mia's Deli on East Drinker Street, the man has visible tattoos on his hands.
The photo was taken around 1:20 p.m. on Wednesday.
Dunmore Police say they need to identify this person who passed off counterfeit $100's at small businesses here in the borough.
Cara Mia's owner, Cara Lowe, believes the man took advantage of workers being too busy during their lunch rush to notice the fake $100 he used to pay for a container of vodka sauce.
“He reached into his pocket, had a folded up $100, didn't even unfold it which normally you unfold it to hand someone money and held onto it,” said Lowe. “Paid for his $9 sauce and then got $91 in change.”
Lowe says other businesses in Dunmore were hit around the same time Wednesday afternoon.
The owner of CTB Salon on Chestnut Street says that man gave her a fake $100 bill to pay for shampoo.
"It was between 1 and 1:20-ish. And like he walked in, we were kind of busy. He just asked for some fruity shampoo,” said owner Carly Tallow "So the shampoo was only $12.50 so I mean, I gave him $88.”
But it was at the Building The Kingdom of God Gift Shop where the man's scam was thwarted.
Owner Kim Marchese says they knew right away the bill was fake.
“We immediately said we don't have change so, there's two banks there if you'd like to get some change, you know because we don't have some change for a hundred dollars,” said Marchese, saying the man agreed to do that and come back but he never returned.
The owner of the salon said she too thought there was something funny about the bill but didn't want to tell the man she thought it was counterfeit, thinking that might cause him to feel offended or even upset.
"You can't really say, oh this is fake. I didn't want to be insulting,” said Tallow.
If you think you recognize those tattoos, contact Det. Hallinan with Dunmore Police.
Dispatch: (570) 342-9111
Dunmore Police Station: (570) 343-0851 ext. 118
