Watch Out for Funny Money - What to Look For

Recently some of our retail business customers have had issues with customers paying with fake cash. While at first glance it can look pretty authentic, there are things you can train your employees to look for to ensure you don't end up losing out on those payments.

Feel It - Real money will feel more like fiber than cheap paper and is less likely to be as wrinkled as fake bills.

Look at the Color - These are actual counterfeit bills that were presented for payment. You might notice the color of the paper seems a little off - these are greener than an actual bill. Also, check for watermarks that are hard to reproduce, such as the words "Twenty USA" on the right side of a real bill, or the many small "20"s printed on the back of the bill in yellow.

Read the Bill - In this case the words "This is a Replica" is actually printed underneath the picture of Thomas Jefferson. Also on the left-hand side under the seal the words "This note is not legal. It is to be used for motion pictures," is printed as well as "Not the Real Secretary" under the signature. "Replica" is also printed on the bottom right-hand side underneath the 20.

Mark It - Be sure to have a Counterfeit Detection Pen available for your employees. If they have suspicion of fake currency, they simply need to mark the bill with the Pen. If it turns dark it's likely counterfeit. CNB makes these available to our customers if needed.

If undetected, counterfeit currency costs you money. There's no way to replace those payments. Be sure to train your employees for what to look for and have more peace of mind. Materials may be downloaded for free from the US Treasury's website at https://www.uscurrency.gov/educational-materials/download-materials.

 

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