With the economy at an all time low and counterfeit money being reported on a daily basis now is the time to get a counterfeit pen. Even if you are delivering pizza’s you are at risk for running into funny money.

A Uniontown woman used three counterfeit bills to purchase a pizza early Sunday morning in Fayette County. A manager at Domino’s Pizza on Morgantown Street told Uniontown police that a woman at a Lincoln Street residence used three counterfeit bills — two $5 bills and a $10 bill — to pay a delivery driver at 12:17 a.m. Sunday.

The woman who used the counterfeit money told police she obtained it from a neighbor earlier in the day.

Police Chief Jason Cox said the incident is under investigation.

The incident marks at least the third time counterfeit money was used in Fayette County during the weekend. State police at Uniontown said someone passed a counterfeit $10 bill Friday afternoon at Speedy Meedy’s on Route 711 in Springfield. A few hours later, someone attempted to use a counterfeit $5 bill to buy a quart of oil at Miller’s Grocery on Springfield Pike in Normalville.

Both of those incidents remain under investigation.

Counterfeit dollar bills of any denomination may go unperceived at a glance. While many rarely give a second thought to the negative effects that counterfeit money has on society, there are several different reasons to fight this growing phenomenon. Some of these reasons include:

· Businesses are not reimbursed for counterfeit monies received, causing prices to go up for all consumers

· Decreased value of authentic bills of any denomination

· Inflation, or increase in prices may occur due to the unauthorized and artificial money supply growth

Unfortunately, developments in photocopying and computer technology have made the illegal reproduction of currency bills easier than ever. Because of this, it is important to play close attention to the money you handle in order to ward off any counterfeits. Whether at a bank, retail business, or even at home, a counterfeit bill detection device may be worthwhile if you handle large numbers of dollar bills. There are several different types of counterfeit money detection devices. The most common devices are described below.

Counterfeit Detector Pen

People who use color copiers and color printers for counterfeiting purposes attempt to create merely passable reproductions of paper money bills. These counterfeiters are not particularly cautious or accurate, so they copy or print onto normal, wood-based paper. Authentic bills are printed on special, fiber-based paper.

The counterfeit detector pen is a simple but effective concept. It utilizes an iodine solution that in turn reacts with the starch contained in wood-based paper. The result of the reaction between the iodine solution and wood-based paper creates an unmistakable black stain. When the solution contained in the pen is applied to the fiber-based paper used in authentic bills, no discoloration or reaction occurs. The pen does nothing but detect bills printed on normal copier paper instead of the fine papers used by the U.S. Treasury. Though simple, the counterfeit detector pen can be effective in detecting real-looking currency bills that are actually printed on regular paper.

UV Counterfeit Detection Machines

Banknotes that are created by a color copy machine or printer produce a superficial image that merely rests on the surface of paper. Because of this, the artificial image of the bill can easily be detected when an Ultra Violet light is placed over it. In addition, tiny particles of printer toner outside the image, also known as bleed can be easily seen with a UV light. Many bill counters have a UV light built into the machine. The UV counterfeit detection method is very effective, since it does not allow for human error. If a counterfeit banknote is run through the UV machine, an alarm or light will alert you that the bill is counterfeit.

More Counterfeit Detection Methods

Other types of counterfeit detection methods include:

Magnetic Detection or MG detection

- MG detectors detect the magnetic components found only in real bills. When the magnetic components are not present – the bill may be fake.

Magnifying Detection

- By being familiar with the different types of bills you deal with, you can use a magnifier to look for the special marks, symbols found only on authentic bills. This is a manual process.

Watermark Detection

- Watermarks are marks that are embossed into U.S. and foreign currencies. These watermarks can be easily seen when the bill is held up to fluorescent light. Watermarks are difficult to reproduce and when false, are easily detectable.

Lighted Reflection

- Some bills have a metallic, color changing emblem stamped onto the bill. For example, the U.S $100 bill has a stamp in the lower right hand corner that changes from black to green. This is easily detected by the naked eye.

The two have allegedly spent at least 14 counterfeit $100 bills in
Natchez and four in Vidalia, Godbold said. He was not sure how many had
been used in Ferriday. Most of them were used at restaurants, gas
stations, Wal-Mart and one at Natchez Municipal Court.

The bills have been hard to find and the counterfeiters have done several things to make them look real.

For example, when real bills are marked with a currency testing pen,
the line shows up a light brown color. With the counterfeit money, the
line is black.

To get around this, the bills were already marked with a light brown
marker so that cashiers would not think to mark them again, Godbold
said. [source]

http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=204897

DARLINGTON, Wis. — The Darlington Police Department is warning the public to be alert for counterfeit money in the area.

Darlington police confirmed Saturday that four phony $100 bills have been discovered at Darlington businesses in the past month.

The matter remains under investigation by local police. It has also been referred to the U.S. Secret Service, which is the agency that handles counterfeit currency.

FORGED notes have been tendered across the region with a high number of reported incidents in Southampton city centre, Woolston, Hedge End and Botley.

Taxi drivers have also been targeted by the forgery fraudsters.

Retailers told the Echo that tricks used to pass off the worthless notes as genuine include ruffling up the paper to make it appear used and inserting fakes inside layers of genuine cash as they hand over money for goods.

More…

A woman used counterfeit $20 bills at Wal-Mart, Spencer Gifts and the Dolphin Inn before she was arrested Tuesday, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Tammy Lee Osborn, 19, of 10th Avenue in Shalimar, faces felony charges for uttering forged bills.

She told investigators her boyfriend and his friend had a scanner and printer they were using to print the money inside a room at the Dolphin Inn, her arrest report stated.

She used at least 40 of them, according to reports. Many had identical serial numbers and all failed tests under a counterfeit detection pen.

If the store you are shopping at doesn’t use counterfeit pens maybe we should all carry our own and check the change we get or insist that the stores use them.

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. - The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office says tough economic times could be contributing to an increase in funny money being passed around.

The Sheriff’s Office says they’re seeing at least two reports everyday of people trying to pass off counterfeit bills as the real thing. On Sunday, workers at Super Day Express Deli and Gas Station in Englewood, caught a customer trying to use a counterfeit bill.

“The colors were a little bit darker and it didn’t look right,” says employee Joshua Farnam.

Farnam tested the bill using a counterfeit money detector. The marker immediately turned the bill dark black, indicating it was fake.

“I told them I can’t take this it looks funny and he just tried convincing me it was real,” says Farnam.

The man ran out the door. Now, deputies are using the store’s surveillance video to identify him. Farnam says he’ll be using that pen on any bill that looks suspicious.

“I just thought it was crazy because I’ve never had it happen,” says Farnam.

On Monday, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested 19-year-old Brittany Rudewicz for trying to use a fake $20-dollar bill at a BP gas station in Englewood. The Sheriff’s Office has not said if the two incidents are connected.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office at (941) 639-0013.

Troy Stroud couldn’t have known it at the time, but as he passed a crisp new $20 bill to the woman in the drive-through window at a Popeyes Chicken restaurant on North La Brea Avenue, he was doing more than just paying for his order, authorities said.

The alleged counterfeiter was passing a suspected bogus bill right in front of a quick-thinking U.S. Secret Service agent who had been following Stroud.

As Stroud’s car idled in line, the agent ran inside the restaurant, flashed his badge and took position behind the counter. He then watched as Stroud handed the allegedly fake currency to the clerk.

On Tuesday, federal authorities announced that Stroud and four other men have been arrested and charged in connection with a massive counterfeiting scheme that U.S. Atty. Thomas P. O’Brien called “one of the largest, if not the largest, counterfeit currency rings we have seen in Southern California.”

The ring is responsible for printing and distributing nearly $7 million in bogus currency over the last two years, authorities said.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Tracy L. Wilkison, the prosecutor on the case, said it was unusual not just because of the amount of money, but because agents were able to go up the food chain in their investigation.

“Most of the time what we have is a handful of poorly crafted bills in small amounts,” she said. “When we’re able to trace it all the way back to the source and stop the printing, that’s a big coup.”

The bills, allegedly produced with computers and ink jet printers, were of particular concern to agents because they had proved difficult to detect and were passed in locations across the United States.

Among those charged in the scheme was Albert Edward Talton, 44, of Lawndale, who is accused of printing the fake cash.

More… ]]> http://blog.itestcash.com/nearly-7-million-in-fake-currency-was-printed-and-distributed-over-the-last-two-years-authorities-say.htm/feed http://blog.itestcash.com/quiznos-5-commercial.htm http://blog.itestcash.com/quiznos-5-commercial.htm#comments Fri, 16 May 2008 17:26:17 +0000 Administrator http://blog.itestcash.com/quiznos-5-commercial.htm I think this is a great commercial it assigns a value to what five bucks can get you. Next time someone hands you a five dollar bill think about taking a hot delicious sandwich and instead of eating it flush it down the toilet. That’s like forgeting to check the five dollar bill with your hand counterfeit detecting pen. Not to make you lose your appetite (cheesy pun intended) but now imagine a $50 or $100 bill…

This is an ad from an advertising campaign “Gazeta Mercantil (Undersatand the real value of money)” More…