District Heights, Md. - -WJLA SCRIPT-

ANCHOR:

NOW TO A SEVEN ON YOUR SIDE INVESTIGATION. YOU'D BETTER CHECK THE MONEY IN YOUR WALLET CLOSELY. WE'VE GOTTEN COMPLAINTS ABOUT A LOCAL BANK PASSING COUNTERFEIT CASH.
ROSS MCLAUGHLIN IS ON THE CASE TONIGHT.

ROSS MCLAUGHLIN:
WHO CAN YOU TRUST IF YOU CAN'T TRUST YOUR BANK TO PUT REAL CASH IN YOUR HANDS? A MARYLAND WOMAN SAYS SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT COUNTERFEIT MONEY LOOKS LIKE, BUT SAYS THE BANK SHOULD.

STORY:
Ross: "We're here to talk about the audit?"

IT'S KIND OF HUSH-HUSH AT THIS CHEVY CHASE BANK AFTER A CUSTOMER COMPLAINED OF GETTING PHONY 100'S.

Ross: "You heard about it though?"

Teller: "I heard about it."

Ross: "Okay."

HEARD ABOUT IT!

Rosetta Thomas: "Um, that's a good counterfeit."

ROSETTA THOMAS IS THE REASON BEHIND IT. SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THIS. FUNNY MONEY. TAKE A CLOSE LOOK. CAN YOU SPOT THE FAKE? DIDN'T THINK SO? THE 100 ON THE BOTTOM IS COUNTERFEIT. ROSETTA SAYS THE BANK FAILED TO NOTICE AND SHE WAS FOOLED TOO UNTIL SHE TRIED TO USE IT.

Thomas Logan: "She gave me a couple hundred dollar bills and I put it up toward the light."

THIS STORE MANAGER SAW SOMETHING WRONG. A REAL ONE HUNDRED HAS BEN FRANKLIN FRONT AND CENTER AND ALSO EMBEDDED IN THE CORNER. NOW LOOK AT THE FAKE. WHEN WE SHINE LIGHT THROUGH IT UP POPS ABRAHAM LINCOLN. IT'S A 100 DOLLAR BILL PHOTOCOPIED OVER A BLEACHED FIVE.

Thomas Logan: "When I put the 100 dollars in there it came up as a 5 dollar."

400 HUNDRED DOLLARS IN COUNTERFEIT MONEY. ROSETTA WAS SHOCKED.

SHE RUSHED BACK TO THIS CHEVY CHASE BRANCH IN DISTRICT HEIGHTS MARYLAND WHERE SHE SAYS SHE FELT LIKE A SUSPECT.

Rosetta Thomas: "I said I don't care who you call, I'm not going nowhere cause I didn't do anything wrong."

Robert Gamble: "We're have become aware of the situation and we handled it. That's not something we can speak on."

BUT THE SECRET SERVICE CAN.

Todd Kreisher/U.S. Secret Service: "They're with Chevy Chase bank in the process of being sent here."

THE PHONY MONEY IS NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION AND HOW COULD A BANK NOT NOTICE?

Todd Kreisher/US Secret Service: "In this case, it's genuine currency paper so by feel it would feel like real money."

ROSETTA DOESN'T THINK ANYONE WAS PAYING ATTENTION UNTIL WE GOT INVOLVED.

Rosetta Thomas: "They paying plenty of attention now"

AND NOW SHE'S GOT HER MONEY BACK.

Rosetta Thomas: "I love it. Thanks a lot 7 On Your Side."

ROSS MCLAUGHLIN:

THERE ARE SEVERAL POSSIBILITIES: A BANK EMPLOYEE COULD HAVE BEEN SWITCHING OUT REAL MONEY WITH FAKE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEPOSITED BY A PREVIOUS CUSTOMER AND NOT NOTICED OR MAYBE IT CAME THROUGH AN ATM. THERE YOU HAVE IT.

WHO CAN YOU TRUST IF YOU CAN'T TRUST YOUR BANK TO PUT REAL CASH IN YOUR HANDS. A MARYLAND WOMAN SAYS SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT COUNTERFEIT MONEY LOOKS LIKE, BUT SAYS THE BANK SHOULD.

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