The U.S. Secret Service is warning merchants to beware of high quality counterfeit $100 bills circulating in Hawaii.
Al Joaquin, special agent in charge of the Hawaii office of the Secret Service says about $15,000 worth of the money had been circulated last week.
He says the bills are being distributed by Los Angeles street gangs - the Crips and the Bloods.
The bills are printed on a high quality printer on paper that is close to the real one used for U.S. currency.
The bills have also been sprayed with a chemical so that pens some merchants use to detect counterfeits, will not help.
The Honolulu Star reports in some cases, the suspects have purchased goods and then returned them to get genuine US currency.
