CAIRO — A gas station clerk was handed a $100 bill, but didn’t believe it was authentic. Then she called police.

The Cairo Police Department arrested two individuals Thursday afternoon who they say attempted to pass off the bill at multiple local business. Investigators later determined the bill to be fraudulent.

Police were notified that a customer at Susie Q’s left after attempting to use a $100 bill that did not appear to be real. The customer was then spotted again at the Easy Stop on Highway 84 East.

When police intercepted the suspect’s vehicle, they found Damon Randolph and April Kimberly Gray. According to a police incident report, Randolph admitted that he had attempted to use the bill at another gas station. Police then had Randolph return to the Easy Stop to speak with the store clerk.

The Easy Stop clerk said she was unable to tell if the bill was real, but a police officer determined it was fraudulent when he noticed that the bill was smaller than it should have been.

Interim police chief Giovannie Santos said materials used to manufacture counterfeit bills were found inside the suspects’ vehicle.

Santos said the methodology used to create the bills is “not common to the majority of cases of counterfeiting” in the area.

“It has been quite some time since we have seen this method here and the counterfeit bills are quite convincing,” the interim chief said.

Santos said the specific materials used to create the bills will not be disclosed at this time.

Randolph, 43, and Gray, 36 have both been charged with two counts of first degree forgery, a felony.

An investigation is ongoing to determine if the counterfeiting scheme had been successful in the past. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 229-377-7381.