Counterfeit $10 bills have been surfacing in local businesses, according to police.

They are smaller than regular bills and may have blurrier writing, said Lincoln Police Capt. Joseph Wright.

New $10 bills have a distinctive watermark, Wright said.

Michelle Bartlett, 56, allegedly used 27 $10 bills — all displaying serial number GJ11173608A — at four businesses Monday.

Police approached her Monday morning at the downtown Lincoln Electric System office, and she insisted she had received the bills as payment from another person.

Bartlett was arrested Monday afternoon at the Super C, 745 S. 21st St., on suspicion of four counts of forgery and one count of driving with a suspended license.

It looks like Bartlett may have been working with another person, said Lincoln Police Officer Kacky Finnell. The investigation continues.