Local authorities are warning residents to check their money after fake so-called movie money was used to pay for items in several localities, including Patrick Henry and Montgomery counties.

A $100 bill recently was used at a business in Stuart to pay for goods, according to Danny Martin, an investigator with the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office.

He explained the money is worthless, and “is used as a prop in theatrical and movie productions where the appearance of large sums of money is needed.”

Martin said authorities in Christiansburg and Henry County also reported incidents of the counterfeit money being passed.

“The money is realistic looking but it is marked” at the top with the phrase ‘movie money” or ‘motion picture money,” Martin said.

However, because the lettering used is the same style as that used on real bills, Martin said the phrase often goes unnoticed “unless you take time to closely examine it.”

Authorities are recommending taking the time to examine bills, according to Martin, who added “that is the best way to tell if the bill is real.”

To tell whether a bill is real, hold it up to a light, Martin said. “You should see a narrow strip running up and down the bill with the denomination printed on it. You should also see a watermark in the image of the dignitary appearing on the bill.”

He added bills of all denominations have the strip and water mark.

Additionally, Martin said marking pens may work well, but “some counterfeiters bleach $1 bills and then reprint the paper with a higher denomination. When the bill is marked with one of the pens, it will look good because the paper is actual money paper. But, the bill won’t have the right strip and watermark.”

He noted bleached counterfeits aren’t common because the paper size is harder to print.

Also, it is not illegal to possess movie money, but it is unlawful to attempt to use it as legal currency.