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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Southern Oregon construction industry finds subcontractors in short supply ... Death of transportation bill costs Jackson County $10 million ... Phoenix downtown in for big changes ... Southern Oregon construction industry finds subcontractors in short supply ... Death of transportation bill costs Jackson County $10 million ... Phoenix downtown in for big changes ... Medford sees a surge in bogus bills Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 29, 2014 at 3:36 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 29, 2014 at 3:36 PM » Social News Three new forgery cases involving bogus, small-billed cash popped up around Medford over the weekend. Medford police reported smaller bill denominations — fives and tens — were passed at Tinseltown, the Central Avenue Shell gas station and Joe's Sports Bar & Grill. The Tinseltown and Shell station incidents were both reported during the evening of Saturday, Sept. 27. Authorities got a suspect description in the Shell station incident: a white man about 6 feet tall with black hair and a mustache who purchased a pack of cigarettes with fake cash. The Joe's Sports Bar & Grill incident happened Sunday, Sept. 28. In that case, a white woman about 5 feet 3 inches and weighing around 120 pounds with blonde hair and pink highlights paid for drinks with bogus bills. She drove away in a blue Mazda 323. Anyone with information on either suspect should contact Medford police at 541-770-4784. The bills in all cases were described by police as "poor quality" with no security strip or watermark that would identify them as legitimate currency. Additionally, the bills were cut from paper and had a different feel than actual bills made with a cotton fiber-linen mix. Medford police said the number of counterfeiting cases is surging after a relatively quiet first half of 2014, which saw roughly half as many cases as a year earlier.  From January to June of this year, police investigated 104 forgery cases, a 49 percent drop from the 205 cases in the similar period of 2013. Recently that's changed, though. "It is starting to pick up again," Medford police Lt. Mike Budreau said, adding he's not sure why the sudden increase in activity is happening. "We're trying to spread the word on Facebook." The uptick is highlighted by two significant cases from the last three months. Last month, two California women were sentenced to more than three years in prison for ripping off $4,500 worth of merchandise and gift cards using fake travelers checks and fraudulent exchanges in July. A Grants Pass resident was arrested two weeks ago for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in music equipment from Medford and Grants Pass stores using fake $100 bills. Those large cases are outliers, however. Most counterfeit cases involve smaller fake bills like fives and tens that typically don't draw as much scrutiny from clerks, Budreau said. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil .   By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 29, 2014 at 3:36 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501