How to Spot a Counterfeit Bill

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or printers because of how small and detailed it is. The borders around real bills are very neat and clear. Counterfeit bills end up being blurred and messy due to the printing methods that cause the ink to bleed. Bills that lack details and look flat are mostly fake. Color shifting is another thing to look for on a bill. Color-shifting can be found on all bills expect $5 and lower bills. The originally design was the color changed from a blackish color to a green. The newer bills go from a copper to a green. If you hold a bill to light you can see a faint image of the person whose portrait is on the bill. This watermark is embedded on the right side of the portrait and be seen from both sides of the bill. Counterfeit bills tend to have watermarks that do not match the portrait, making them easier to detect.

After inspecting the bill, look for the innovative security features. The security numbers is the same color as the Treasury seal. If they do not match, the bill is most likely fake. Counterfeit bill may have serial numbers that are not spaced out evenly or not aligned properly. Every authentic bill has a different serial number. If you have received suspicious bills, check to see if the serial numbers are the same. Counterfeiters neglect to change the serial numbers on bills.

Let’s review, I talked about how to judge a bill by touch, inspecting the details, looking for security features and what to do if offered a counterfeit bill. While counterfeit technologies continue to change and develop, we, the people, need to learn the ways to detect it and protect ourselves from fraud. Since money is essential in our daily routine, it is important to make sure none of us lose out on the money we thought we had. With $50 million counterfeit twenties in our system one of them is bound to end up with you. Knowing the signs of counterfeit, not only saves you from fraud, but saves the next person who could have got that same bill.