A seemingly minor incident at a Huntingburg gas station on Oct. 20 has prompted an unusually public reminder from local law enforcement about vigilance over cash transactions. According to a Dubois County Free Press report published the same day, an individual used a movie prop $20 bill during a purchase; the Huntingburg Police Department was notified and issued a community alert urging merchants and residents to inspect currency for possible fraud.

There have been no arrests, no suspect identified, and the department said it is still reviewing the matter. Local authorities have not indicated whether the person who used the prop bill was a Huntingburg resident or a passerby. As of Oct. 21 no additional incidents or updates had been reported, leaving the case open and the community on notice.

The incident underlines practical risks that can affect routine commerce in Dubois County. Gas stations, convenience stores and small retailers often operate with slim margins and rely on cash transactions from commuters, families and visitors. Accepting invalid bills, even those created as novelty items or film props, can produce direct financial losses for proprietors and, by extension, contribute to economic strain in a county that depends in part on local trade and tourism.

Local public safety structures are central to limiting the fallout from such incidents. The Huntingburg Police Department’s advisory functions as both a warning and a form of merchant education, reinforcing the relationship between police and community businesses in preventing minor fraud from escalating. The notice — posted through local media channels and consistent with routine police outreach — emphasizes preventative steps that merchants can take to protect their tills, such as careful inspection of notes and the use of detection tools commonly recommended in retail settings.

Verification efforts around the alert centered on the Dubois County Free Press account. An additional reference to WITZ Radio appeared in early reporting but, as of Oct. 21, direct confirmation from the station’s online archives was not available. Local reporters and public-safety observers suggested follow-up calls to Huntingburg police and searches of WITZ’s broadcast archives through Oct. 25 to determine whether additional broadcasts or related incidents surface, which would indicate whether this was an isolated prank or part of a wider pattern.

For residents and merchants, the practical takeaway is clear: routine vigilance can mitigate small-scale fraud. While the financial hit from a single prop bill may be limited, the cumulative impact of accepting invalid currency can erode trust between customers and businesses. Local officials have provided a timely reminder to check bills carefully, record suspicious transactions, and report incidents promptly to law enforcement.

The episode serves as a modest but telling example of how even low-level incidents can ripple through a small community. It also reinforces the value of rapid local reporting and police-community cooperation in keeping commerce secure in Dubois County. Readers seeking updates can check the Dubois County Free Press and the Huntingburg Police Department’s public information channels for any developments.