How to Spot and Stop Counterfeit Currency

Counterfeits Just Keep Getting Better

In 2023, a retail store in California unknowingly accepted over $10,000 in counterfeit $100 bills in a single month. The counterfeit notes were so convincing that even experienced cashiers failed to recognize them. It wasn’t until a bank deposit was rejected that the fraud was discovered—too late for the store to recover its losses.

This scenario isn’t unique. Across the U.S., businesses are losing millions to counterfeit currency, and fraudsters are getting smarter. Whether it’s through high-tech digital counterfeiting, bill bleaching, or even state-sponsored "supernotes," counterfeit bills continue to slip past unsuspecting businesses. But with the right tools and training, you can protect your business.

Types of Counterfeit Currency and How Criminals Get Away With It

1. Bill Bleaching – The Counterfeiter’s Secret Weapon

One of the most deceptive counterfeiting techniques is bill bleaching. Imagine you’re a cashier, and a customer hands you a crisp $100 bill. It looks and feels real. You check it with a counterfeit detection marker pen, and it passes. But what you don’t know is that this bill started as a $5 note.

Criminals use household chemicals, such as bleach or degreaser, to strip the ink from low-value bills while preserving the security features of the genuine paper. They then reprint the note with a higher denomination. Since the paper is real, traditional counterfeit detection marker pens are useless.

📌 Solution: Businesses can use UV detectors and automatic counterfeit scanners like the CT-600, which detect mismatched security features that remain after bill bleaching.

2. Supernotes – When Governments Fake Money

Not all counterfeiters work in basement print shops. Some have the backing of entire governments.

For decades, intelligence agencies have suspected North Korea of producing high-quality counterfeit $100 bills, known as "supernotes." These fake bills are printed using state-of-the-art intaglio presses—just like the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. They contain accurate security features, raised ink, and even UV-responsive elements.

Supernotes are so convincing that they have passed through the global financial system for years before detection. A Taiwanese businessman once admitted to smuggling $25 million in North Korean supernotes into the U.S., working with organized crime groups in China and Russia.

📌 Solution: Businesses should invest in multi-feature counterfeit detectors like the FF-3000, which analyze infrared ink, intaglio printing, and security threads—features even high-quality counterfeits struggle to replicate.

How to Protect Your Business from Counterfeit Bills

• Train employees to recognize security features like color-shifting ink, microprinting, and security threads. Learn more here: https://www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2020-12/KnowYourMoney.pdf 
• Use multi-layered detection tools like the CT-600, which verifies banknotes using infrared, UV, and magnetic ink detection.
• Regularly update counterfeit detection policies to keep up with evolving counterfeiting techniques.
  
  

By combining FraudFighter’s counterfeit detection technology with strong fraud prevention policies, businesses can avoid costly losses and maintain financial security.