[hubua990]

Oh man, i could tell enough counterfeit currency stories to fill this thread up for two straight days. That's no joke. But i'll just tell my favorite counterfeit story and leave it at that for now. It's in my book that's being edited right now. i'll try and keep it short:

About 3 years ago, Big Frank (the owner of the restaurant where i work) called the secretary to see what the numbers were from the night before. She went through the daily receipts--visa, master card, AMEX. etc. she gave him the bank deposits info; she was telling him about this and that, and "oh....by the way, Mr. Frank, when i deposited the US currency in the bank this morning, they withheld US $300."
"Really? call them back right now and tell them i want to see that money immediately!"
"But Mr. Frank, they don't do that."
"I said call them right back, Maria, and tell them i wanto see that money immediately!"

20 minutes later. "Mr. Frank, i called the bank and they told me it's their policy that they can't show counterfiet money or give it back to you. that's standard procedure Mr. Frank."
"Bull****! i'm going down to the bank right now!"

20 minutes later, Big Frank rolls into one of the big bank branches right here in Cabarete. he goes up to one of the desks right by the front door. "Oh, Hi Mr. Frank, how are you today?"
"Not good. My secretary was in here today and one of your tellers confiscated $300 of my US money. i want it back."
"Oh, but Mr. Frank, we can't do that. It's standard bank procedure."
"Really? Then i'd like to close my accounts and take my money right now."
"Oh Mr. Frank, no need to get angry and close your accounts over $300!
"Oh yes it is! i'll sit right here and wait for you to write me a check."

Frank sits down and waits patentiently while the women goes through a door into the back of the bank. Ten minutes later a bank manager comes out from the back and shakes Big Frank's hand and politely explains that it's standard bank procedure to keep the money and that, unfortunately, they cannot show or give the money back to Frank. Period.
"Is that so? Ok, i'll be closing my accounts right now and taking my money. I'll wait right here. I'm ina little bit of a hurry, so if you could write my checks i'll be on my way."

Now it's a Poker Game, and Big Frank has called their bluff, and raised them.

The bank manager leaves and goes through the back door and dissappears into the back of the bank. ten minute later, a bigger bank manager comes out and apologizes to Frank. he asks Frank to follow him up to a teller. he asks the teller to give Mr. Frank his money back that he confiscated earlier that morning. The bank teller--a young man in his early 20's--hands Big Frank his US $300. Big Frank holds the money up and inspects all three $100 dollar bills and then hands them to the kid and asks him what's fake about them? The kid says that the money feels funny...the paper doesn't feel right," and then the kid hands the money back to Frank. Big Frank then hands the money to the bank manager and asks him if the money is fake? The bank manager can't find anything wrong but admits, he's no "Expert."

Big Frank takes his money, walks directly across the street (This is a true story) and walks into the bank across the street (doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out which banks i'm talking about here) and deposits the money into his other account: the bank teller across the street carefully inspects the three $100 bills and deposits it into his account, handing him his deposit slip.

Now, of course, Big Frank got his money back because, he was willing to close a "Restaurant account." He held a lot better poker hand then i would have. for someone like myself, they would have laughed and had the security escort me out. So, it helps if you have a larger account than say, my $3000 pesos. However, my bigger question is this: Imagine if this is gogin on everyday in every bank branch on the island, how many times a day is fake money being confiscated daily without the ability to verify if the money is actually fake?


I got another true story about Monopoly money being used to pay a bar tab in a brotherl here on the north coast, and an arrest of our musician over it. but i'll leave that for my book.

FRank