Archive for August, 2008

How do Counterfeit Money Detectors Work?

Counterfeit money detectors are fantastic tools in saving businesses money by verifying the authenticity of paper money. It is true that there have been certain precautions taken by the government to deter counterfeiters from counterfeiting money, but these individuals still find ways to copy money. It is inevitable that it is always just a matter of time after a change has been implemented that these criminals will figure out a way to deceive store clerks, banks, and others in situations in which money changes hands. As soon as counterfeit activity begins rising again, the government must figure out a new way to deter these individuals from copying money.

The counterfeit money detectors works on both old and new paper currency. Store clerks and other individuals use these to ensure that the money they are receiving is not counterfeit. It is ideal that these individuals check every single bill that comes their way even if they believe it looks real. Unfortunately, there is the occasional counterfeit bill that does seep through the cracks, but with the implementation of counterfeit money detectors, fewer counterfeiters are getting by with circulating their fake cash.

How detectors work

When a store clerk or another individual receives money, they simply take this counterfeit money detector pen and they make a mark across the front of the bill. They will admit that this pen does not smell nice, but that is because it consists of a special ink that isn’t like your normal pen or marker, but it certainly doesn’t behave that way. If you try to write on paper with one, the ink will go on clear and then it will turn black. This is what it does on a counterfeit bill.

If you make a mark on a counterfeit bill, the color of the ink will turn to a grayish color, a dark brown, or even a black. It depends on the type of paper that was used to make the bill. Counterfeiters try to use paper that feels as close to the real thing as possible. As soon as the individual checking the bill sees this dark mark, they know that they have to call the authorities as soon as possible. They do not give the money back to the individual who gave it to them. The police then come and they learn about where the bill came from and will ask a series of questions. Counterfeiting money is a serious offense and they are dedicated to finding out where it came from.

When a bill is not counterfeit, the marker will either leave a clear, yellow, or light brown mark on the paper. The bills that are most likely to be checked are bills of $10 or more. Now more and more individuals are checking bills that are $5 and above because counterfeiters began copying smaller bills. It is very unlikely that a dollar will be copied because the cost to counterfeit it is more than what it is worth. That is why the United States government has left the dollar unchanged, unlike all of the other bills above it.

So if you own a business or you are going to be accepting cash for something, having a counterfeit money detector is probably in your best interest. By every business and every individual using these pens, counterfeiters can be shut down and the government will not have to keep implementing new security features into money so often. That would relieve a lot of confusion amongst the citizens who have to continuously get used to new designs.

Fast Food Restaurant Reports Counterfeit Problem

Last week at Taco Bell someone used a counterfeit $50 bill and fled the scene before he could be caught. This week another person used a counterfeit $20 bill at a fast food restaurant .The Government introduces new bills every 7-10 years to throw off counterfeiters, but that clearly isn’t stopping them so make sure you always have your counterfeit pen on you when dealing with money.

SHELBY – First it was tacos and chalupas. Now it’s biscuits and Thickburgers.
A week after The Star highlighted counterfeit money being used in Cleveland County and at a Shelby Taco Bell, another fake bill has turned up at a fast food restaurant.
According to a Shelby Police report, Hardee’s reported that a counterfeit $20 bill was used at the restaurant Saturday evening.
The report, written by Officer Chris Wilkinson, stated the bill was passed between 6 and 7:30 p.m. and that the manager, Joanna Crosby, said the employee that took the bill did not have a description of the customer that used it.
Last week, The Star wrote about a similar case at the Taco Bell on West Dixon Boulevard. In that situation, police said the suspect fled the scene after her $50 bill was found to be a fake.
“The suspect stated that she had received the counterfeit bill while selling ‘True Romance’ products at a party,” Officer E.J. Godfrey wrote in his report. “She further stated that she was attempting to pass the bill because she could not afford the loss.”
Counterfeiting was a serious problem a few years ago when drug users were paying pushers with fake bills, said Boiling Springs Police Chief Marty Thomas. But, in speaking with The Star last week, he’s not noticed a recent increase in counterfeiting activity.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department Web site, the popularity of the $20 is also the reason that the bill is the most frequently counterfeited in this country. Counterfeiters use computer scanners, laser printers and color copiers to produce and pass bogus bills – many of them of poor quality. Anticipating this trend more than a decade ago, the government launched an effort to make paper currency more secure. To stay ahead of counterfeiters, the United States anticipates introducing new currency designs every 7-10 years. The most noticeable change in the latest design of currency is the addition of color.

Garage Sale Holders Warned to Watch for Fake Bills

1022839_heres_is_a_tip_.jpg If you are running a Garage Sale make sure to have the counterfeit pen with you. Most people don’t bother to check small bills, but with all the counterfeit money going around it pays to be safe.

Nearly $150 worth of fake money was used to buy tickets at Festa Italiana this weekend, and now more reports of counterfeit cash are surfacing. In an attempt to make money, many people in the Stateline are actually losing money at the hands of scam artists.
Police blame the influx of fake money on the stagnant economy, and improved technology. “As far as the upgrades of computers, printers, scanners, we do see an increase,” says Sgt. JR Randall, with the Rockford Police Department’s Investigative Services Unit.
But where these bad bills are showing up, might surprise you. Counterfeiters are taking fake cash straight to your front yard. Jessica Archibald was one of many this weekend, who got scammed at her own garage sale. “I wouldn’t think I’d need to look at a fifty or even a twenty at a garage sale, but it makes a lot of sense, because no one checks for that,” she says.
Jessica says a woman bought about four dollars worth of stuff, and paid with a $50 bill, asking first if Jessica had change. “Sure, not a problem,” she told the woman. “I got change, no big deal.”
It wasn’t until after the woman left, that she realized the money didn’t look right. “It was just a little bit smaller than the other 50′s,” she says. Jessica called police and took the $50 bill to a local bank where they confirmed it was fake.
It turns out Jessica had given $46 in change, to someone who never actually paid.
“They told me she was probably just taking it around to area garage sales, that’s how they make their money,” she says.
That’s because most businesses now have UV lights and special pens that can detect fake money, so counterfeiters are left with few places to spend their illegal dough. “The smaller the place, the easier it is to pass a bill,” Randall says. He says once a phony bill is in circulation, it’s nearly impossible to trace its origin.
The special pens can be bought at office supply stores. Police say the best piece of advice they can give is to be aware of all money you get – compare its coloring, texture, and size with the cash you already have on-hand.

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