Employees at an Albertsons in Irvine found a handful of fake $100 bills with suspicious white powder, which made one of their coworkers sick over the weekend.
An Albertsons spokesperson said staff immediately called police.
"Once the issue was identified, we took immediate action and notified local law enforcement, and we are fully cooperating with their active investigation," the spokesperson said. "We thank law enforcement for their swift response and our customers and associates for their cooperation."
The Irvine Police Department said they tested the substance, and it tested positive for ephedrine, a drug often used to treat high blood pressure.
Officers said a similar incident happened again later in the week.
"A shopper at the same Albertsons reported to the manager that they found fake $100 bills in a shopping cart near the entrance of the store," Officer Ziggy Azarcon said. "They picked it up, put it back down, and just let the manager know."
Irvine police sent the bills to Orange County's crime lab.
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