Batesville Police are working on a “funny money” case that has grown in the last two months from one incident to a series of counterfeiting crimes. Deputy Chief Barry Thompson said officers have made two arrests and more are coming.

“We are trying to get to the man who is printing the checks,” Thompson said. “Now we have the Oxford Police Department involved and several other agencies working on this. It’s going to be a major counterfeiting ring that thinks they are getting by, but they are not.”

Names of those arrested so far have not been released pending other charges and more arrests. The phony checks have cost North Mississippi stores thousands of dollars and intensified the investigation, broadening to several counties.

The success of the counterfeiters has been the high quality of the checks. Using professional laser printers and careful attention to details, the crooks have produced documents exactly like payroll checks and those issued by businesses  who regularly write checks – scrap metal yards, second hand stores, etc.

Victims of the scam have been area grocery stores and other retailers who cash customers’ checks for a convenience fee. Those retailers are near-experts at spotting counterfeit paper, but Thompson even the most experienced cashiers and service desk clerks were fooled.