A man was arrested Thursday in Coalville after admitting to printing hundreds of dollars in fake currency, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.

The man, who is believed to be in his mid-30s and doesn’t reside in Summit County, was a person of interest in an ongoing investigation into counterfeit bills used at a local business, said Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Felicia Sotelo, the public information officer. Gas stations, convenience stores and grocers in Summit County have reported an uptick in fake money since March.

Deputies spotted a vehicle matching a description provided by a business and initiated a traffic stop. They began speaking with the suspect, who Sotelo said eventually admitted to making counterfeit bills.

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Law enforcement then obtained a search warrant for the man’s vehicle. Deputies found fake money as well as a printer used to create it. It’s unclear exactly how much counterfeit cash the man had or how long he had been making it.

Sotelo said multiple types of technology may be used to make counterfeit currency, ranging from simple practices resulting in crude bills to modern operations that make fakes harder to spot.

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“It’s really important for businesses to just be mindful of counterfeit bills. It’s a hard thing to put a number on. Sometimes these bills are pretty sophisticated, so we don’t know (they’re circulating) unless they’re reported,” she said.

Banknote counterfeiting involves several stages: acquiring the appropriate paper, rendering watermarks, reproducing the security marks and the actual imprinting and numbering of the bills, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Counterfeits usually forget the second step as it’s hard to replicate. They will also alter real, low-value bills to make them look like they’re worth more because American currency is a similar size.

Real bills will feel textured and have slightly raised ink. Genuine money is made of special paper that is 75% cotton and 25% linen, which contains tiny blue and red fibers, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Real $5 to $100 bills also have color-shifting ink on the lower right side denomination.

Fraudulent bills will be missing the watermark on the right when held up to the light and may appear blurry near borders or fine lines. The fake money might also say “copy” or “for motion picture use only.”

Deputies found methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a fake temporary vehicle registration during the vehicle search, too. The man was arrested on several charges.

A female passenger was released because of medical concerns. She may face charges at a later date.

Summit County business owners suspecting they received fake cash can contact deputies to have the bills checked. The Sheriff’s Office will continue to investigate.

Reports for suspected receipt of counterfeit bills should be directed to Sgt. Davis at 435-615-3596 or Summit County Dispatch at 435-615-3601.