Counterfeit Money Detectors – Options Explained

Counterfeit money problem was an ancient and large one in the 19th century when banks were issuing their own currency. It was thought that the unification under one national currency would solve the problem but it got worse instead. This resulted in the government stepping in and establishing the US Secret Service in 1985. This has not deterred the ardent counterfeiters out there in the big bad world one bit.

With the rise in counterfeit money being circulated, newer and better products have been constantly invented to detect fake bills. This article provides an overview of some of the main products available on the market that layman can purchase to protect himself personally or his business.

Counterfeit detector Pens: this is really the least expensive method to protect yourself and identify counterfeit bills. The pens have an iodine felt tip and when a mark is made on the bill it will either turn amber, which means your bill is clean or dark brown or black, which means you have a baddy on your hands. These pens are available at stationery marts and are very handy for individuals and small business owners who do not have the resources to invest in more expensive detection methods.

There are several different types of ultraviolet scanners that scan watermarks, magnetic ink, security strips (only possible with the newer bills) among other things. If a bill is a fake it will show up through one of these checks. For example each new style of bill has a watermark and the sensor will check that to verify if it is genuine. Magnetic ink when check with UV light will give off a chirping sound when present.

The heavier guns are the money counters fitted with ultraviolet and magnetic ink detection to spot the bad guys. Each new development of the money counter makes use of the most modern technology available in the industry. They utilize infra-red technology, which has the benefit of maximizing currency counting accuracy. As soon as you put a batch of money on the machine its auto start feature kicks on and it will start counting and scanning simultaneously to detect any counterfeit bills in the pile.

There are also separate gadgets that sort and count coins. There is a latest model on the market that has an automatic detecting function with ultraviolet and magnetic, which is suitable for most international currencies. It scans for counterfeiting while it batches and adds.

Hand held ultraviolet lamps are available to detect counterfeiters, fraud and scams and can scan most foreign currencies, driver’s licenses, identification cards and credit cards. There usually is an additional scan in place for the US dollar.

For the individual looking to spot a fake bill with the naked eye you may want to:

• Check the portrait – it should appear lifelike and stand out, not be lifeless and flat.
• Federal Reserve and Treasury seals – on genuine bills the saw-tooth points of the seals will be clear, distinct and sharp.
• Border – in a genuine bill the fine line of the border will be clear and unbroken; counterfeit bills usually have blurred and indistinct lines.
• Paper – genuine paper will have tine red and blue fibers embedded throughout.