Dumb Criminal and dumb store owners...

From WCPO in Cincinnati: bq. Thieves Get A Taste Of Their Own "Funny Money" Some thieves got a taste of their own "money" when they passed counterfeit bills at an area Wal-Mart store. bq. In a bizarre twist that involved two transactions and three different trips to the Wal-Mart Store in Westwood, employees were determined to teach them a lesson. bq. The employees are calling the thieves the dumbest criminals in the Tri-state. bq. They say they sued their counterfeit money to buy items, but later returned those items to get a cash refund of legitimate bills. bq. But the store manager had a different idea. bq. "A male, black, came into the store, purchased approximately $400 worth of merchandise --a DVD player, some DVDs," said Lieutenant Russ Neville, a Cincinnati police officer. bq. Wal-Mart-mart management says that after the man left, an employee noticed the money was fake -- but it was too late. bq. They never expected what happened next. bq. "A female, black, came back a short time later with a receipt from that purchase and returned approximately $300 or $270 worth of the merchandise," said Lt. Neville. bq. Employees say she was hoping to get real money with her return, but Wal-Mart says they recognized the receipt and made the decision to give back the bogus bills. bq. Management says the thieves actually had the gall to come back a third time, less than an hour later to complain that they had been given counterfeit money. And more (the dumb store owner part): bq. But the Wal-Mart store's management says they used a counterfeit detecting pen that left obvious black marks all over the bills, that most cashiers would pick up on. This is bogus... The pen contains iodine and will react to any starch used in the sizing of cheap paper. ('sizing ' makes the paper feel 'thicker' and 'richer'). Only the really stupid counterfeiters would use a sized paper when they can buy a real 100% cotton bond for about $10 more per ream (enough to make several hundred bills) A bill can pick up fabric starch while sitting in a wallet and test positive while a careful counterfeiter can use decent paper and produce a visually-awful bill that still 'passes the pen test'. Magician and de-bunker James Randi likes to play this trick -- he will spray laundry starch onto part of a bill and wait for the cashier to check it. If they check the part with the starch, he will ask them to check the other end of the bill. He will then ask for the manager and explain why these pens are bogus. The other thought is why Wal-Mart allowed the counterfeit money to leave the store when they had it in their possession. A crime, no?