HARLAN, Ky. (WYMT) - After a spike of counterfeit bills in Harlan at the end of last year, police are educating cashiers about money.
The "Know Your Money" program is designed to cut down on fake bills. Police say it is working.

At the Harlan Wal-mart, each bill given to a cashier is checked for accuracy.

"We are always on the lookout for counterfeit money," said Steve Newman, Assistant Manager.

Harlan Police say counterfeit bills spiked in the city at the end of last year. In the new year, they are educating retailers to "Know Your Money" in an effort to reduce counterfeit bills.

"People look for busy establishments and hope cashiers and servers and people like that don't check their bills. The main thing is to get everyone observant, check their bills real quick, and a lot will be avoided," said Mike Thomas, Harlan Police Chief.

The flyer from the U.S. Treasury explains all the details of real bills.

"If you look at a real bill and a counterfeit bill, it's real obvious the differences," said Thomas.

Police say the training is making a difference towards cutting down on fake money in the city.

"We had a cashier that had only been here less than a month, she identified counterfeit money that somebody had tried to pass, so the training pays off," said Newman.

"It's going to cut down on their losses and cut down on our manpower and time, so it's a win-win situation," said Thomas.

Police say if cashier catch counterfeit bills, it can help lead to arrests.