Counterfeit bill passing costs businesses millions of dollars in lost revenue every year. Those businesses that fail to carefully examine the bills that are passed on to them are victimized daily. Don't let the counterfeiters get the best of you and your business. Learn how to spot counterfeit money and stop the thieves in their tracks.
You can help combat the threat of counterfeiters by becoming more familiar with United States currency. Examine the money your business receives. Train your employees in how to spot fake bills. Compare suspicious notes with genuine ones of the same denomination and series, paying attention to the quality of printing and paper characteristics. Don't look for similarities – instead look for differences.
There are a variety of things to look for when examining money for counterfeit bills.
Portrait
A genuine portrait on a bill appears lifelike and stands out distinctly form the background. A counterfeit portrait is usually flat and lifeless. Details merge into the background, which is often too dark or mottled.
Federal Reserve and Treasury Seals
A genuine bill will have clear saw tooth points of the Federal Reserve and Treasury seals are clear, distinct, and sharp. A counterfeit seal may have uneven, blunt, or broken saw tooth points.
Border
The fine lines in the border of a real bill are clear and unbroken. On the counterfeit, the lines in the outer margin and scrollwork may appear blurred and not distinct.
Serial Numbers
Genuine serial numbers have a distinctive style and are evenly spaced on the bill. The serial numbers are printed in the same ink color as the Treasury Seal. On counterfeits, the serial numbers may differ in shade or color of ink from the Treasury Seal. Also, the numbers may not be uniformly aligned or spaced, as they will be on a real bill.
Paper
Genuine current paper has tiny blue and red fibers embedded into it. Often counterfeiters will try to simulate these fibers by printing tiny blue and red lines on their paper. But on close inspection, one may see that on the counterfeit notes the lines are printed on the surface, not embedded in the paper. It is illegal to reproduce the distinctive paper that is used in the manufacturing of U.S. currency.
But, if your business deals with lots of cash, it is often impossible to stay on top of the counterfeits all of the time. This is where
counterfeit detectors come into the picture. Counterfeit detecting machines are specialized pieces of equipment that are used to spot fake money.
The price ranges on
counterfeit detectors runs the gamut, from very cheap to very expensive. You are paying for the technology that is embedded in the machine model that you choose. Obviously, the more sophisticated machines, with several modes of detection, will cost more than a simple tabletop non-electric model.