CEBU CITY – Following the arrest of a woman who used counterfeit money in purchasing a box of pizza here, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is warning the public on the proliferation of fake bills, particularly as the Christmas season nears.

CCPO officials said the public should be careful in their financial transactions now that counterfeit money are being circulated around the city by unscrupulous individuals, a trend that usually occurs during the onset of the holidays.

The warning was made after police arrested Marife Bacayo for allegedly using a fake R1,000 bill in purchasing a box of pizza from a pizza store along Escario street last Tuesday night.

The store’s attendant, who refused to be identified, said she was busy attending to customers when she suspected that the P1,000 bill Bacayo paid for a box of pizza was fake.

The attendant said she immediately called up the police after the money checker she used showed that the bill lacked security marks, a sure indication that it is counterfeit.

Under questioning, Bacayo said she was aware that the money she used to buy the box of pizza was fake but she still pushed through and used it because she didn’t have any money to buy food.

Her explanations, apparently fell on deaf ears and the police proceeded to file charges against her.