Can You Spot Fake Money?
Before I started working as a credit union teller, I didn't pay much attention to cash. As long as I was able to make my purchases, I was a happy gal. After working as a teller for 3+ years now, I've created a habit to check for counterfeit and organize my bills to where all the faces are lined up.
I've also realized how common counterfeit is, so I feel it's crucial to give a few quick tips on keeping your money (and reputation) safe from fraud.
The following information is provided by the United States Treasury Department and inspired by Frank J. Wilson's "Know Your Money," an education program dedicated to eliminating and distributing counterfeit money.
1. Look for a holograph of the face image on the bill. Anyone can do this with any type of light. Simply hold a bill up to a light (sunlight, fluorescent, etc.) and look for a holographic face. Both images on the bill should match.
2. Check for a security strip. The new $100 has a beautiful blue holographic strip that's incredibly obvious, but did you know it has a second hidden one as well? Yep, every bill but the $1 bill will have a strip running vertically down the bill. Just like the face watermark, you should be able to see the strip in the light.
Other things to look for:
Micro-printing: Micro-printing can be found around the portrait as well as on the security strip.The following bills and their micro-prints are:
Color-shifting ink: If you hold the new series bill (except the $5 note) and tilt it back and forth, watch as the number in the lower right hand corner shifts colors from green to black and back again.
Green means good, sometimes.
So there you have it, in a world of electronic money such as credit cards and pay pal, it's still wise to know how to spot a fake bill. Especially since it's your name, not the counterfeiter, that's documented if you pass over a fake bill. Whether it's simply to track the origin of the imitation currency or to charge you as an accomplice, it's an inconvenience all the same and can be prevented.
Thank you, Frank J Wilson and the US Treasury Department for their efforts to decrease counterfeit.