A Counterfeit $100 Case: A Five-Minute Training Exercise for Cashiers
Cash Alert Explained
A bill needs another check. The customer is waiting, and the line is growing. Does your cashier know where to pause the sale, what to say, and who takes over?
A recent New York police announcement offers a starting point for a short practice session. Adapt this exercise to your store's register, safety policy, and approved cash-handling procedure.
What the police announcement says
In an October 19, 2026 announcement, New York State Police reported an October 17 incident at a Home Depot in Cortlandt. Police said a man attempted to make a purchase with counterfeit $100 bills. The announcement records his arrest and charges involving possession of a forged instrument and petit larceny.
These are police-reported allegations and procedural events, not a conviction. The original New York State Police announcement is the source for this summary.
What remains unknown
The release does not explain how the bills were identified, which $100 design was involved, whether checking equipment was used, or how employees handled the interaction. It does not state a store loss amount or provide a finding of guilt.
We cannot credit a device, identify an employee mistake, or infer a nationwide increase from this incident. The exercise below is a fictional teaching scenario, not a reconstruction of the Cortlandt case.
Set up the five-minute exercise
Before starting, have the written procedure, the designated reviewer and backup, and the appropriate cash-checking reference ready. Resolve any missing steps first. Use this exercise alongside your existing currency-identification training.
Use a written scenario card; no suspect bills or replicas are needed. One employee plays the cashier while a supervisor reads the prompt and observes. Keep the activity separate from live transactions.
Training scenario: During your normal cash check, you are unsure whether a feature on a customer's $100 bill matches the reference for that design. The sale is still incomplete. The customer asks you to hurry because other people are waiting.
The official $100 guide includes different designs. Choose the relevant reference; do not reject an older note merely because it looks different from the newest design.
Run the exercise, one minute at a time
| Minute | What the employee practices |
|---|---|
| 1: Find the pause point | Show or describe where the sale is put on hold for review. State that the transaction remains incomplete. The supervisor checks this against the store's register procedure. |
| 2: Use a neutral phrase | Say: “I need a supervisor to check this bill before I can complete the sale.” Repeat calmly when asked to hurry. |
| 3: Make the handoff | Name the reviewer and backup. Explain the observed concern, denomination, and transaction status without guessing how the note was made or what the customer intended. |
| 4: Practice an exception | The supervisor adds: “Your usual reviewer is unavailable,” or “The customer asks to cancel.” Explain the approved escalation or cancellation route. Correct any unclear steps. |
| 5: Record and recap | Identify which details the store's incident record requires: time, register, transaction reference if available, observed concern, reviewer, and action taken. Use fictional details, then summarize the handoff. |
Give feedback on observable actions
The employee does not need to declare a note counterfeit to complete this rehearsal successfully. Check whether the cashier can:
- Identify the approved pause point and describe the transaction status.
- Use neutral wording without accusing the customer.
- Reach the designated reviewer or explain the backup route.
- Summarize the observed concern, transaction details, and required incident record.
Repeat any unclear part. If several employees cannot name a backup, fix that procedure gap first. For broader onboarding, use NUCOUN's cashier cash-handling training guide.
Staff should not chase, restrain, or argue with a customer. A cancellation request, hurried manner, or unfamiliar-looking bill does not establish criminal intent. Follow the store's safety procedure if an interaction becomes threatening.
For handling a note already in the store's possession, review NUCOUN's suspected-counterfeit handling guide alongside the designated person's approved procedure and the current official reporting guidance. This drill does not give employees authority to confiscate property.
Make checking tools part of the handoff
If your store uses checking equipment, have the reviewer locate its alert instructions. An unresolved alert should lead to the approved review process. A successful count alone does not establish authenticity; an alert does not establish what a customer knew.
Start with NUCOUN's guide to counterfeit-detection features, then consult the applicable model's instructions through Support. Check documented functions and alert procedures before choosing equipment.
At the next shift briefing, ask each cashier to demonstrate the pause and name who takes over. A clear handoff is the practical result this exercise should deliver.
Sources checked October 26, 2026. The case summary reflects the linked police release; the scenario and exercise are NUCOUN editorial suggestions.