HICKORY Hickory police are fighting an outbreak of counterfeit cash that's been popping up all over town.

One $20 bill was passed at Hong Kong Cafe in November. A second fake $20 bill turned up at the One Stop convenience store on Jan. 6 and they haven't stopped since.

So far, 36 fake bills have been turned over to Hickory police. The bills, worth a combined $785, have been in denominations from $5 to $100.

Twenty-six of the three dozen bills have been $20 bills - and 13 of the 36 bills have matching serial numbers, said Sgt. Brett Porter of the Hickory Police Department.

When Hickory businesses spot a fake bill, they call the police and ask the person who handed them the cash to wait for the officers to arrive.

Some people wait and tell the officers where they got the money. Some people leave the scene. When customers flee, officers work to find them.

"We track them down by using witness descriptions, tag numbers and surveillance footage," Porter said.

When Hickory officers get a counterfeit bill, they photocopy it, and send the bill to the Secret Service's Charlotte office. Secret Service agents are assisting Hickory officers in the investigation..

Technology has improved and making counterfeit money is easier than ever. Some of the 36 seized bills are obvious fakes, but many are high-quality reproductions.

"Now you can take a good computer setup with a scanner and a printer and you can do a pretty decent job," said Maj. Clyde Deal of the Hickory Police Department. "It's not good enough to fool the marking pen, but a teller who's not paying attention - she could be fooled."

Banks use cash-counting machines equipped with infrared sensors that target and detect fake bills, said Community One bank office manager David Martin.

For people and businesses, it's tougher to guard against counterfeit bills.

Office supply stores sell a $4 pen that reacts with the ink on a fake bill. Bills larger than $1 have a built-in security strip and watermarks.

"If it looks funny, if it feels funny, give us a call," Porter said. "The Hickory Police Department would rather go to the scene and determine if a bill is real or not than to investigate after the fact."