Downside of better printers: Anyone can counterfeit
July 20, 2010 by Steve HannafordPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
The increasing sophistication of copiers, scanners and printers along with the lousy economy have led to a rise in counterfeiting cash, according to police sources.
Unlike the old days, when counterfeiting took some major skills plus an investment in engraving tools and printing presses, today’s passers of bogus bills are using the equipment found in every office.
Despite the release of newer, harder-to-fake bills, people are eagerly trying to pass funny money. And a lot of folks are using low-cost MFPs, both laser and ink jets. (The real pros operate outside the USA.)
Recent news reports of NFO-generated bills from Pittsburgh, Topeka, Connecticut and the Virgin Islands just in the last week attest to the growing problem.
According to one recent investigative report from the Topeka Capital Journal, the Feds are pretty good at analyzing the source:
“By analyzing the ink and toner of a counterfeit bill, Secret Service investigators are able to determine what type and brand of printer or copier was used to make a counterfeit. The department also maintains a counterfeit index to track where specific counterfeits are being passed.”
If your company deals with cash payments, you might want to train point-of-sale personnel in some lower-tech detection methods.
The biggest giveaway, according to the Treasury Department, is in the paper. With real bills:
- They are printed on linen-cotton blended paper, which does not feel like office paper.
- There are red and blue fibers running through the paper.
- You can see a watermark if you hold it up to a light.
- Ink on the lower right-hand corner changes color as you turn the note.
- Clear polyester thread is embedded vertically in the paper, and you can see it if you hold it up to the light.
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