Questions

Q1: What is counterfeit money?
A1: Counterfeit money is money that is not legal tender or was not printed by the US Government.
Q2: Who is in charge of designing new security features for the bill?
A2: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing creates new ways to deter counterfeiting.
Q3: How can I protect myself from counterfeit money?
A3: With the new bills you can look at them in the light and see the threads and watermark on them. With older bills it is a little more difficult. A magnifying glass can help or there is a pen on the market and a machine that the money can be run through to detect fakes.
Q4: What do I do if I receive counterfeit money?
A4: There are 6 steps to take if you are given a fake bill.
  1. Do not give the bill back to the person who gave it to you.
  2. Get a good description of the passer and try to stall them if possible.
  3. Call the local police department or the United States Secret Service.
  4. Write your initials and the date on the blank portion of the bill so it doesn't get mixed up with other bills.
  5. Handle the bill as little as possible to avoid getting your fingerprints on it.
  6. Don't give the bill to anyone except the police or Secret Service.
Q5: What future changes are going to be made by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing?
A5: Right now there are no future security changes that are going to be made but more of the bills will include the present features.
Q6: How long has counterfeit money been around?
A6: Counterfeit money has been around as long as genuine money has.
Q7: When was the national currency created?
A7: A national currency was created 1863.
Q8: When did the Secret Service begin investgating counterfeiters?
A8: The Secret Service began investigating counterfeiters in 1865.
Q9: What 2 countries (other than the US) are believed to print a large amount of fake US bills?
A9: Iran and Syria.
Q10: What are some of the new security features found on the $100 and $50 bill?
A10: There are several features that make real bills easier to spot. They include: the portrait, the background, the paper, a watermark, color shifting ink, microprinted words, seals and serial numbers.
Q11: How does the magnifying glass help?
A11: The magnafying glass will allow you to read the microprinted words on the bill.
Q12: How does the pen work?
A12: The paper that genuine bills are printed on is made of cotten and linen. You put a mark on the paper with the pen. If the ink turns black, the bill is a fake. If it turns yellow then the bill is real and the yellow line will disappear after a couple of hours.
Q13: How does the machine work?
A13: Some of the machines us UV light while others have a built-in microprocessor which can detect even the more sophisticated forgeries.
Q14: When was the $100 bill redone to include the current security features?
A14: 1996
Q15: When was the $50 bill redone to include the current security features?
A15: 1997
Q16: When will the $20 bill be redone?
A16: 1998
Q17: When will the $1, $5 and $10 bills be redone?
A17: 1999
Q18: How much counterfeit money was confiscated in 1994?
A18: $209 million.
Q19: What percentage of counterfeit money does the Secret Service believe is confiscated before it reaches circulation?
A19: 90%
Q20: How is the portrait a security feature?
A20: The portrait on a genuine bill is more lifelike than on a fake bill. Also, each President is pictured on one bill.
Q21: How is the background behind the Presidents head and the building a security feature?
A21: There are fine lines printed in the background. These lines are smooth and unbroken on a genuine bill.
Q22: How is the paper a security feature?
A22: There is a polymer thread woven in the bill. The thread in the $100 bill reads "USA 100". The thread can't be reproduced with copiers or printers but is visible when the bill is held up to the light. Genuine bills also have red and blue threads embedded in the paper. On counterfeit bills the lines look like they are printed on the paper instead of in the paper. The paper is also made with cotton and linen and feel stronger then fake bills.
Q23: What is a watermark?
A23: A watermark looks like a shadow of the President's face and is located to the right of the portrait.
Q24: What is color shifting ink?
A24: The number in the lower right hand corner on the front of the bill is done in color shifting ink, which means that the ink appears green when looked at straight on. When the bill is held at an angle the ink looks black
Q25: What words are microprinted on the bill and where are they?
A25: On the $100 bill words are microprinted around the portrait. To the naked eye it looks like a black line but under a microscope the words "The United States of America" can be read. On the $50 bill, "50" is written around the portrait and "United States of America" is printed in Grant's collar.
Q26: How do the seals identify the bills?
A26: The Federal Reserve and Treasury seals have saw-tooth points on the outside of the seal. On genuine bills these points are clear, distinct, and sharp. The seals on counterfeit bills may have uneven, blunt or broken points.
Q27: How do the serial numbers identify the bills?
A27: The serial numbers printed on genuine bills are printed in the same color ink as the seal and the numbers are evenly spaced
Q28: How much does the pen cost?
A28: The pens cost between $4 and $10.
Q29: How much do these machines cost?
A29: These machines range in price from $80 to the thousands of dollars.
Q30: Well they include any new security features?
A30: There are no new features that will be added to the smaller bills that the larger bills don't already have.