This is not the least bit sketch
I don't understand how trying to get authentic, but genuinely and obviously fake money is sketchy? If this guy wanted to take a fake twenty to a gas station and buy some shit I am willing to bet he wouldn't look for a fake bill that is red and white.
He wants it to look like he has more money then he really does. He most likely wants to mix the fake money with real money. If he wants enough to fill a briefcase then I would speculate that he wants to buy bitcoin, plans on buying enough so that he would need to fill a briefcase with cash, would show the seller the briefcase full of the mostly fake cash, have the seller send him the bitcoin, give the seller the fake money and then leave
But he said "custom image and wording on it", why would he want a custom image and wording if he wanted to mix the fake money with the real one?
ive seen fake money used many times, hell, certain churches like to use them to give to people instead of tips. waiter thinks its $10/50/100, they pull it out and see "why beg for money when you can pray for forgiveness?" crap on it. only to lose their job for not getting enough tips or some crap like that.
its only illegal if its trying to copy real Legal tender. if you see a brief full of wads of Canadian cash, only to get close and see "Play my gaem! eh?" on it. at least it made you look.
Okay. I never heard about anything like that in real life. Can you link me to some stories by some trusted sources on frauds like this?