How to Spot Counterfeit Money As a Secret Service Agent
Although cash is not as widely used as it used to be, counterfeit banknotes are still a problem. According to the Treasury Department , there are about $ 70 million worth of counterfeit banknotes in circulation, or roughly one counterfeit banknote for every 10,000 genuine currency, although this could be much higher. This is why it doesn’t hurt to learn how to recognize a fake invoice, especially if you work in a service industry. Here are some ways to spot counterfeit bills:
- Paper Feel : The easiest way to identify counterfeit banknotes is to feel on paper that is grainy and crisp. Counterfeit banknotes are often printed on plain paper made from wood pulp, but real banknotes are made from rag paper – a combination of linen and cotton fibers. Most people can intuitively sense the difference, especially when comparing a counterfeit bill to a real one.
- Raised Ink: The effect is subtle, but with real bills, you can run your fingernail across the surface and feel a little tooth or vibration from the raised ink, especially where there is a lot of etching. Most counterfeiters try to replicate this effect.
- Ink that changes color: on new bills, the numbers in the lower right corner change color from copper to green for denominations of $ 10 and up. Just tilt the bill back and forth and you should see it. Counterfeiters sometimes use glitter to make the number alternate from shiny to matte as you tilt it, but you can still tell it’s fake if the color doesn’t change.
- Watermark: When brought up to the light, new legal banknotes will be watermarked with the number corresponding to the banknote, or alternatively, the ghostly image of the president depicted on the banknote. The watermark is visible on both sides of the bill.
- Security thread: new banknotes must have a built-in stripe running vertically on the banknote, to the left or right of the portrait (depending on the denomination). The denomination of the note will also be applied to the thread.
- Blurry printing: Blurred lines or text are a sign of counterfeit banknotes because real banknotes use die-cut printing that is extremely accurate and difficult to reproduce. Blurred printing is best detected by looking closely to ensure that the very small text printed on the invoice is legible and legible.
- Red and Blue Threads: These are very subtle, but real banknotes have tiny, hair-like threads woven into the banknote that appear blue or pink (I personally think blue threads are easier to spot). Lines are very thin, making it difficult to copy counterfeit printers.
- UV Glow: I have not verified this myself, but obviously if a legitimate account is exposed to UV light, the $ 5 bill will glow blue, the $ 10 bill will glow orange, the $ 20 bill will glow green, the $ 50 bill will glow yellow. and the $ 100 bill glows red. If you have UV light, try it and share what you find.
- Serial Number: The first letter of the serial number must correspond to the year of issue of the banknote, known as the “serial” number, which is also printed on the invoice. (For reference: E = 2004, G = 2004A, I = 2006, J = 2009, L = 2009A, M = 2013, N = 2017)
To learn more about detecting counterfeit notes, check out this visual guide created by the US Foreign Exchange Education Program.