The Wahpeton Breckenridge Area Chamber of Commerce is reminding retailers to keep an eye out for fake money after a member business recently received a counterfeit $100 bill.
The Wahpeton Breckenridge Area Chamber of Commerce is reminding retailers to keep an eye out for fake money after a member business recently received a counterfeit $100 bill.
The Wahpeton Breckenridge Area Chamber of Commerce is reminding retailers to keep an eye out for fake money after a member business recently received a counterfeit $100 bill.
An investigation is currently under way by the Wahpeton Police Department and Chief Scott Thorsteinson explained that there were a few tips people who handle cash can follow to stop more counterfeit bills in the near future.
“Your sense of touch is the best. All of the research that has been done on the topic says to judge by the feel,” Chief Thorsteinson said. “I’ve never felt a counterfeit bill that felt real. If you have a real one, you can compare the two and tell the difference.”
Along with the feel of a counterfeit bill, Thorsteinson said counterfeit bills often contain irregularities when compared to legitimate bills.
“The different details on the money itself may not be as clear. One of the big examples is the borders on the bill aren’t usually cut accurately,” Thorsteinson said. “They can even be a different size. Hold up the bill and compare it with one you already have, they are often slightly undersized.”
The latest type of $100 bills came out with a press release in October 2013 which stated that the new currency has both a 3D security ribbon and a bell design on the note.
In an article from Myria.com, those who handle currency can tilt one of the newer $100 bills back and forth and see the design change. The bell design on the note will also change when tilted, with the color shifting from a copper color to a green. Another tip from the article is to check the quality of the printing, especially with the numbers, as the printing on a counterfeit don’t always match.
More information is available online, according to Thorsteinson, who recommended the United States Secret Service website, which has additional tips on protecting yourself from counterfeit currency.
“My experience with the subject is that the occurrences are few and far between,” Thorsteinson said. “Keep looking at things, put forth the effort, use the markers and follow tips and that cuts down on the opportunity for counterfeit bills to be used.”
