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By Jessie Burchette

jburchette@salisburypost.com

A 12-year-old student at Southeast Middle School, 1570 Peeler Road, raised eyebrows when she tried to pay for lunch with a $100 bill.

The girl wanted to apply the $100 to her lunch account although she is part of the free or reduced lunch program.

School officials opted to take a good look at the bill.

Assistant Principal Chris Boylan said the $100 bill looked a lot like the real thing.

School officials called the Rowan Sheriff's Office. Investigators quickly determined it was a fake.

Capt. John Sifford said the girl told school officials and officers that she found the $100 bill in the Walmart parking lot in Cooleemee.

"There is no Walmart in Cooleemee," Sifford said Wednesday.

The girl also told officials that her mother looked at the bill and told her that it wasn't real.

But the girl thought it was real and decided to take it to school.

"She is 12 years old, maybe she's just naive," Sifford said, adding she will likely be referred to juvenile services.

Both the Sheriff's Office and the Salisbury Police have received several reports from businesses recently regarding counterfeit $100 and $20 bills.

Sifford noted this is not the first time a student has had counterfeit money on school property.

He recalled an incident during the past couple of years in which a student started giving away a roll of $20 bills on a bus, creating an incident.

Authorities in East Spencer responded and determined the money was counterfeit.

The student told authorities he had found it in a parking lot.