Anyone who deals with the public and money, whether in a
business or at a yard sale, flea market or selling Girl Scout
cookies, could potentially receive a counterfeit bill and should
know how to recognize one, according to Morgan Hill Police.
Anyone who deals with the public and money, whether in a business or at a yard sale, flea market or selling Girl Scout cookies, could potentially receive a counterfeit bill and should know how to recognize one, according to Morgan Hill Police.
The recent spate of counterfeit $20 bills turning up in local businesses highlights the need for public awareness. Most businesses train their employees to recognize the fakes, and many have procedures they follow, such as automatically testing every $20 or $100 bill.
“One quick way to check is to hold the bill up to the light,” said MHPD Cmdr. Terrie Booten. “In all of the bill denominations, there is a security strip. If you hold it up against the light, at one end of the bill you will see a strip that will go across. If you look very closely, the strip will tell you the denomination in fine, fine print. So for a $20 bill, you would see ‘20 20 20.’”
Another quick way to check is to purchase a counterfeit pen. Booten said the pens are inexpensive and available at a variety of places.
To check a bill that is suspect, Booten said, mark the bill with the pen, and if it is a fake, it will turn black. If the bill is genuine, it will remain a yellowish color.
“We highly recommend that anyone who exchanges money with the public purchase one of these counterfeit pens,” said Booten.
