Counterfeit money has been popping up in the Cayucos area recently and local businesses are feeling the impact.
Marco Lucatero, owner of Lunada Garden Bistro, said his brother was serving a group of people who left behind a counterfeit bill. It was the second time in a few weeks that they had encountered counterfeit money.
“The first time I took it to the bank and they said this bill is fake. It was really, it was obvious,” Lucatero said.
The Cayucos Chamber of Commerce posted on social media, warning local businesses about the funny money popping up in the community.
The Chamber’s vice president told KSBY News that they discovered four fake bills following a recent car show.
Lucatero says that as business slows down during the winter months, counterfeit bills only make things that much harder for small businesses.
“We are a struggling business, just like a lot of businesses in town. It’s a hard time for the coast during the winter and this definitely has an impact,” Lucatero said.
Down the street at Beach Bums, owner Bruce Bucz said he hasn’t encountered any counterfeit bills recently, but did about seven years ago.
“Went to the bank the following day and sure enough they pointed out that we had an $100 counterfeit bill,” Bucz said.
That caused him to change how he checks cash from customers.
“We take a marker to $100 to see if they’re good or not and then we’ll hold to the light to see if there’s any changes that aren’t supposed to be there,” Bucz said.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said that they haven’t received any recent reports about counterfeit bills in Cayucos.
"If anyone comes across a counterfeit bill, they should immediately report it to their local law enforcement agency. That agency will work with the U.S. Secret Service to thoroughly investigate the incident and apprehend those responsible," said Tony Cipolla, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer.
“For us, from a small business standpoint, it kind of hurts us when we get taken advantage of, especially a $100," Bucz said.
