Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Feel
• Method 2 of 4: Visually
• Method 3 of 4: Defense Features
• Method 4 of 4: Handling counterfeit bills
• Tips
• Warnings

If you have a banknote that you are not sure of the authenticity, read this article and you will learn how to distinguish real from counterfeit banknotes.The possession, production and use of counterfeit money are all illegal; if the prosecutor proves that you deliberately committed the described acts, then you will receive a considerable sentence. If you come across a counterfeit banknote, report it to the appropriate authorities.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Feel

1. 1 The paper structure of a counterfeit bill is markedly different from that of a genuine bill.
   • Authentic bills are printed on cotton and linen paper. Regular paper is made from cellulose (wood). Real banknote paper does not lose its strength over time, whereas regular paper tears.
   • The paper and ink used to print banknotes have a special composition (which is kept secret), and they are not in free circulation. Therefore, the quality of a real bill is very different from the quality of a counterfeit bill. Even if you have little experience in recognizing counterfeit banknotes, you will most likely immediately notice the difference in the structure of the paper.
   • The ink on the original banknote is embossed, which is achieved in the process of intaglio printing. You should feel the bump of the print, especially when you are holding a new dollar bill.
   • Run your fingernail across the clothes of the person on the bill. You will feel its relief. Counterfeiters cannot fake it.
2. 2 Pay attention to the thickness of the notes. Genuine money is thinner than counterfeit money.
   • The process of printing genuine bills involves high pressure on the paper, which makes real money thinner than counterfeit money.
   • The only available option for most counterfeiters is to use tissue paper, which can be purchased at most office supply stores. But to the touch, such paper is much thicker than the paper on which real bills are printed.
3. 3 Compare a bill with another of the same denomination and series. Since bills of different denominations look different, take a bill of the same denomination.
   • If you are not sure about the authenticity of a bill, compare it with another (genuine) one.
   • All but $ 1 and $ 2 bills have changed at least once since 1990, so it is best to compare the suspect bill with a similar batch or year.
   • Although the design of the bills has changed, the feel of the paper remains the same as it has been for decades. A bill printed 50 years ago should feel like a brand new bill.

Method 2 of 4: Visually

1. 1 Look closely at the print quality. Pay attention to the lack of relief and detail on the fake. Real money is printed using a secret technology that cannot be duplicated, forcing counterfeiters to experiment with printing methods.
   • Real US currency is printed using methods that cannot be reproduced by conventional offset or digital printing (these are the most popular printing methods for experienced counterfeiters). Look for blurry details, especially small ones like bordering.
   • Look for colored fibers. All US banknotes have tiny red and blue fibers embedded in the paper. Counterfeiters sometimes try to replicate this defense by printing or drawing fibers on paper; but upon closer inspection, you can see that the fibers are printed on the paper and not part of the paper itself.
2. 2 Consider the border (frame). In real banknotes, it is clear and continuous.
   • On Fed and Treasury seals, the sawtooth ends should be sharp and stand out well, whereas on counterfeit money they are blurry and blunt.
   • Due to the difference in printing methods for real and counterfeit money, the border ink on counterfeit banknotes may be blurred.
3. 3 Consider a portrait. By the portrait of the person depicted on the bill, you can determine its authenticity.
   • The portraits on counterfeit banknotes are dull, blurred and not embossed, while on real banknotes they are clear, with fine detail.
   • The portrait on a genuine banknote looks realistic and stands out clearly against the background. The details of the portrait on fakes tend to blend in, and the background is often too dark or irregular.
   • Use a magnifying glass to view the portrait. On one side of the portrait can be seen the words (microprinted) "The United States of America". To the naked eye, these words merge into a thin line. Such micro-printing cannot be counterfeited.
4. 4 Check your serial numbers. They are located in two places - on the front side of the bill, on different sides of the portrait. Make sure the serial numbers match.
   • Compare the ink colors of the serial numbers and the Treasury seal. If they do not match, then the bill is fake.
   • Counterfeit bills can have serial numbers that are not evenly spaced.
   • If you have several suspicious banknotes, check that their serial numbers are different. If they match, then these are counterfeit banknotes.

Method 3 of 4: Defense Features

1. 1 Look at the bill at the light. Look for security features on all bills except $ 1 and $ 2. Look at the security thread (strip) that goes from top to bottom.
   • An embedded (unprinted) security thread is added to all bills except $ 1 and $ 2. It is located to the left of the Federal Reserve seal.
   • If you look at the bill at light, you will see that the word “USA” is printed on the strip, followed by the denomination of the bill in words for 10- and 20-dollar bills and numbers for 5-, 50- and 100-dollar bills. These threads are in different places on bills of different denominations to make it difficult to convert a lower denomination note (on which the seal is washed off) into a higher denomination note.
   • The symbols on the strip can be read from both the front and the back of the bill. Moreover, this can be done only by looking at the bill at the light.
2. 2 Place the bill under an ultraviolet lamp. The strip (security thread) will glow in a specific color.
   • If the bill is genuine, the security thread will glow: a $ 5 bill in blue, 10 in orange, 20 in green, 50 in yellow, and 100 in pink.
   • If the bill does not shine in any color, then it is fake.
3. 3 Check the watermark. Look up at the bill to see the face (portrait) watermark.
   • A face (portrait) watermark can be found on $ 10, $ 20, $ 50, and $ 100 bills from 1996 and later, and on $ 5 bills from 1999 and later.
   • The watermark is embedded in the paper to the right of the portrait and can be seen on both sides of the banknote.
4. 4 Tilt the bill to check the color-changing ink.
   • Color-changing ink (ink that changes color when the bill is tilted) can be found on $ 100, $ 50, and $ 20 bills from 1996 and later, and on $ 10 bills from 1999 and later.
   • $ 5 bills and lower denomination notes do not yet have this protection. The color changes from green to black, but in the latest bills from copper (golden red) to green.
5. 5 Explore microprinting. It includes words or numbers that are not visible to the naked eye (can only be read with a magnifying glass).
   • Since 1990, micro-printing has been applied in certain places on bills (which have changed periodically) in denominations of $ 5 and above.
   • Since microprinting is almost impossible to repeat, counterfeiters prefer to do without it altogether.
   • The micro-printing (numbers and letters) on counterfeits is blurred, while on a genuine bill it is crisp and clear.

Method 4 of 4: Handling counterfeit bills

1. 1 Don't counterfeit money. The possession, production and use of counterfeit money are all illegal; if the prosecutor proves that you deliberately committed the described acts, then you will receive a considerable sentence.
   • If you come across a counterfeit bill, do not pass it on to other people. If you think the banknote is counterfeit, examine it immediately and remember who you received it from.
   • If you get a counterfeit banknote, report it to the appropriate authorities; otherwise, you may be accused of complicity in counterfeiting.
2. 2 Remember the person (his appearance in detail) from whom you received the counterfeit banknote. Also pay attention to his possible accomplices. If possible, write down their vehicle numbers.
   • The person who gave you the counterfeit bill may not be the counterfeiter. He may be a simple victim of fraud by counterfeiters.
   • Of course, it is impossible to remember every person from whom you received this or that bill. Therefore, study the bill as soon as you have any suspicions. For example, cashiers in stores examine any high denomination bill before accepting it as payment. Thus, the cashier automatically remembers the person who is trying to pay with such a bill.
3. 3 Contact the appropriate authorities. For example, the police or the FSB. The addresses of their local offices can be found on the Internet.
4. 4 After receiving and recognizing a counterfeit bill, immediately put it in an envelope or where you cannot touch it. This must be done in order to keep as much evidence as possible on the banknote: fingerprints, chemicals used in printing, and so on. Also, you will not forget that there is a counterfeit bill in the envelope and will not confuse it with other banknotes.
5. 5 Write the required information. Write your initials and date on the white margins of the banknote or on the envelope. The date and initials will indicate when and by whom the counterfeit bill was noticed.
6. 6 Fill out the special form. If you find a counterfeit bill and contact law enforcement, you will have to fill out a special form.
   • Once you turn in a completed banknote with the appropriate authorities, it will be considered fake (unless proven otherwise).
   • Fill out a separate form for each suspicious bill.
   • These forms are usually designed to be filled out by bank employees when counterfeit bills are found, but ordinary citizens can also fill out such a form. If you find a counterfeit banknote at a bank, but you are not an employee, contact your management and fill out such a form on behalf of your company.
7. 7 Only hand over counterfeit banknotes or coins to authorized police or FSB officers. If asked, please provide details of the person who gave you this bill, his alleged accomplices, and any other important information.
   • You will not be rewarded for surrendering counterfeit bills. You will simply help the relevant authorities to apprehend the counterfeiters.

Tips

• Intaglio printing uses a metal plate. Paint is applied to the plate, pressed against damp paper and passed through a roller press. Gravure printing is generally used exclusively in the production of banknotes.
• The $ 1 and $ 2 bills have fewer security features. This is not a problem because counterfeiters rarely try to counterfeit these denominations.
• There is a common misconception that if you rub a bill with your fingers and the paint is smeared, then this bill is fake. This is not always true, but it is true that if the ink does not smudge, it does not mean that the banknote is genuine.
• The ink used to make American currency is actually magnetic, but it is not a counterfeit detector. Their gravity is extremely small and only suitable for automated currency counters. If you have a small but strong magnet, you can attract a real bill. While you won't be able to peel the bill off the table, it can be said that magnetic ink was used.
• Pay attention to differences, not similarities. Counterfeit bills, if they are of more or less quality, will be similar to real ones in many ways, but if the bills differ in only one detail, then this is probably a fake.
• “Increase in denomination” is a simple type of counterfeiting, in which numbers are added to low denomination banknotes and it becomes a banknote of a higher denomination. You can easily identify these counterfeit bills by comparing the numbers in the corners of the bill with the denomination printed on the security thread. If you are still not sure, compare this note with another one of the same denomination.
• The Secret Service and the US Treasury do not recommend relying solely on pen detectors, which are often used by store employees. Such detectors can only determine the authenticity of the paper (they simply react to the presence of starch). Thus, they are able to detect only some forgeries, but not those that are made of better quality; in addition, they are falsely triggered by real money that has been washed (was accidentally washed).
• The portrait on a genuine banknote looks realistic and stands out clearly against the background. The details of the portrait on fakes tend to blend in, and the background is often too dark or irregular.
• In 2008, the $ 5 bill was changed: the portrait was replaced with a "5" and the security thread was moved to the right.
• The thin lines in the border of the banknote are clear and inseparable. Counterfeit bills have blurry lines and curls.
• On the newest $ 100 bills, you can see the words (microprints) "the United States of America" ​​printed on the lapel of Benjamin Franklin's camisole. Such micro-printing cannot be counterfeited.
• Since 2004, the 10-, 20- and 50-dollar bills have been issued with a redesigned color scheme. Probably the most important security innovation is the addition of the constellation Eurion, a repeating pattern of symbols (in this case, numbers) that prevents color copiers from making copies of banknotes.

Warnings

• If you are unsure of something, consult a lawyer or attorney.
• The possession, production and use of counterfeit money are all illegal; if the prosecutor proves that you deliberately committed the described acts, then you will receive a considerable sentence. If you are suspected of something, contact a lawyer.
• If you give a counterfeit banknote to another person, you may be charged with counterfeiting money, fraud, theft, or other crimes.