BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) – Two young suspects are using fake movie prop bills to scam local restaurants out of real cash, targeting small businesses across the Omaha metro area.
- Two suspects are using fake movie prop money to scam Omaha area restaurants, stealing real cash from small businesses
- Security footage at Moran's Grill in Bellevue captured the suspects playing rock paper scissors before attempting to exchange fake $50 bills
- Police believe they've identified one suspect but no arrests have been made; businesses along 24th Street have also been targeted
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Two young suspects are using fake movie prop bills to scam local restaurants out of real cash, targeting small businesses across the Omaha metro area.
At Moran's Grill in Bellevue on a Saturday night, two boys ordered sodas and paid with a $50 bill, receiving $48 in change. Security footage shows the pair playing rock paper scissors before asking the hostess to trade two $50 bills for a $100 bill.
"I wasn't prepared for it, I just wasn't expecting it, you never expect it to happen to your business," said Andrea Moran, owner of Moran's Grill.
When Moran checked the money, she discovered it was fake. After confronting the suspects, they held the bills up to the light themselves before running out of the restaurant, chased by customers at the bar.
The fake bills are movie prop money that looks and feels real at first glance but has "For Motion Picture Purposes" printed on them.
The same pair targeted Sip N Sabor in South Omaha in December, according to co-owner Christian Acevedo. They handed him a folded $50 bill and received $43 in change before leaving. Acevedo only discovered the money was fake after they left.
"It's kind of sad and it makes me worry that they will come back when the other owner is here by herself, it makes me worry," Acevedo said.
Acevedo said the suspects hit several other businesses along 24th Street. The impact on small businesses is significant, even though individual losses may seem small.
"The little things have an impact on us, I mean yea it's only 48 dollars but that's another 48 dollars the business has to come back up with and try to make up," Moran said.
"It makes me upset that they feel ok to come in and take my real money that we hustle for," Acevedo said.
Bellevue police say they believe they have identified one of the suspects, but no arrests have been made. Omaha Police Department asks anyone with information to contact Omaha Crime Stoppers.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
