[Sandtrap328]

Many years ago, Readers Digest sent out tiny bills that looked like a very miniature $10,000 bill. This was advertising one of their sweepstakes.

A friend of mine was working in a small town bank in Iowa at the time. She said a couple in their 50's came into the bank and actually tried depositing it in their account - and they were serious about it. They argued it was "legal tender" and they had every right to that $10,000!

Takes all kinds, doesn't it?

[Justus]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

Very perspicacious, Gracie.

I chased counterfeiters for 20 years. In 1965 I was the case agent on seizing the largest counterfeiting production plant in the United States that year.

First, it is very hard to believe that a bank teller gave out three counterfeit $100 bills to the same person. In my experience bank tellers are quite good at detecting counterfeit money. Also, it would be an amazing coincidence that a teller would be holding three counterfeit $100 bills that were bundled together in the teller drawer, and would give all three to the same person.

Further, it would be most unusual for a community, like The Villages, to experience an influx of counterfeit currency of three different denominations at the same time. Counterfeiters tend to have one denomination that they are passing in an area, and then they move on.

The most commonly counterfeited bill is the $20 denomination because they are less likely to be scrutinized than bills of higher denominations.

The Secret Service has a web site with various links about genuine and counterfeit money. Go there and check on link #11, How To Detect Counterfeit Money. Link #3 is also very interesting, since design features on genuine money changes over the years. Actually it is quite educational to review all of the links.

United States Secret Service: Know Your Money - Counterfeit Awareness

Thanks very much for this link...this was the information I was seeking in launching this post. The account of what happened to this woman's mother seemed odd to me, as well, however knowing as little as I did on the on the subject, I was curious. I really appreciate the help!

[Sandtrap328]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

People have also been known to produce what is called a "Raised Note."

For example, they cut one corner (Top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right) off of four genuine $20 bills and paste the corners onto a genuine $1 bill and pass it as a $20. These are really successfully passed.

Then, some folks don't bother with the cutting and pasting. The $10 note pictured below was actually passed as a $20!

.

Wow! That "$20" being accepted as a real bill makes my last post seem like the couple might have actually received $10,000 from some banks!

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by 784caroline

HOw do the marking pens work??

Basically the mark turns dark on regular papers that most counterfeiters would use. A lot of stores already use one to check each bill if you pay with 20s or higher.



The counterfeit detector pen solves the biggest counterfeiting threat today. It used to be that a counterfeiting operation used expensive presses and special inks and papers to create exact duplicates of the bills. Today, the threat is much more mundane -- people with color copiers and color printers try to create passable facsimiles of a bill. They are not trying to make an exact copy. They are trying to create something close enough that people won't notice anything if they give the bill a passing glance. These folks are not particularly careful or meticulous, so they copy or print onto normal, wood-based paper.

The counterfeit detector pen is extremely simple. It contains an iodine solution that reacts with the starch in wood-based paper to create a black stain. When the solution is applied to the fiber-based paper used in real bills, no discoloration occurs. The pen does nothing but detect bills printed on normal copier paper instead of the fine papers used by the U.S. Treasury.

[shcisamax]

I had a friend in Bradenton tell me that she went to the bank three days ago and yesterday when she pulled a $100 bill out to pay for something, it turned out to be counterfeit. So I don't think it is just in the villages and I don't think it necessarily gets picked up on at the bank. I don't know if she went back with the other $100's to the bank to check them.

[jnieman]

Originally Posted by 784caroline

HOw do the marking pens work??

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/MMF-Industries-Counterfeit-Detector-200045110/dp/B003XQWUR4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1***681940&sr=8-6&keywords=counterfeit+pen&pebp=1***681984502&peri d=1W4SP5SKJGVB3N3BWR04[/ame]

$7.00 on Amazon. See the info below for instructions on how they work. Free shipping for Prime.

The quick and easy way to detect counterfeit currency and prevent fraud
Dark brown or black mark indicates a probable counterfeit
Amber mark indicates authentic currency
These antimicrobial protected pens also help prevent bacteria and fungus from developing on the surface of the pen
1 pen per pack