Funny money is no laughing matter in Lake County where bogus bills are popping up.
Mark Stapleton says about three weeks ago a woman came into his business asking if he could make change for a $50 bill.
He says a few days later, his bank called and told him the bill was a fake.
"Christmas is coming, they want turn around, they’ve got to buy their families something, so they’re doing whatever it takes,” said Stapleton, owner of 441 Thrift Stores and U-Haul in Leesburg.
Since January, Leesburg Police Lt. Joe Iozzi says they have worked 63 counterfeit bill cases, with only two arrests.
"Multiple agencies within our county, to include the sheriff's office, have received several of these cases as of late,” said Iozzi.
Iozzi says merchants should be aware of security features that are available on money.
"Be it the strips or any kind of holographic symbols that may be on money itself,” said Iozzi.
Stapleton now keeps a counterfeit detector at the counter that uses an ultraviolet light to read the strips inside a bill.
Tavares police says they are working 11 counterfeit bill cases and have made one arrest.