Counterfeit money is stopped, by Santa Claus!

From the lighter side of the news, a counterfeiting suspect in a Milwaukee suburb was chased and eventually apprehended by...who else but Santa Claus?

The fake-moneyed grinch in this case was a 33 year-old Milwaukee man who walked into the Mugshotz bar in West Allis, Wisconsin, late on Christmas night. He ordered one drink, passed a counterfeit $100 bill to pay for it, and got up to leave.

The man behind the counter, Neil Steffek, immediately became suspicious. He held up the bill to the light to check for the watermark – and right away alerted his father, sitting nearby in a Santa Claus outfit.

Greg Steffek, the father, was at the bar taking a break from visiting the family as Santa. He confronted the man at the exit to the bar, which led to a brief scuffle. The counterfeiter tried to throw Steffek out of his way and make a dash outside, but mighty Santa held on until the police arrived.

So if you are keeping score at home, it is Santa 1, Counterfeit Money Grinches 0. Thanks to the quick thinking of Neil Steffek in checking the watermark on the bill for authenticity, and the determination of Greg Steffek in holding the counterfeiter firmly until the police arrived.

Happy holidays, and a prosperous 2011 to you from all of us here at Fraud Fighter.