Counterfeit detection changes with technology

New technology computers, scanners and printers revolutionized business in the last decade, but they have also revolutionized the crime of counterfeiting. As a result, technology has now been developed to combat counterfeiting.

Wal-Mart shoppers may have noticed cashiers running handheld scanners over $20 and larger denomination bills. Wal-Mart corporate spokesperson Tom Williams said the scanners check the physical aspects of a bill to determine if it's counterfeit.

"Millions of dollars go through these stores each week," Williams said. "While we haven't seen a recent rise in counterfeit money coming through the stores, it's something we're aware of."

He said the scanner can determine, on the spot, if the money is counterfeit. The cashiers are trained to use the scanner, and then to contact management if they have a doubt about a bill.

Last fiscal year, approximately $50,000 in counterfeit money was passed in the southwest Missouri region, said Paul Johnson, resident agent of the U.S. Secret Service Resident Agency in Springfield.

Johnson said that in the last 10 years, there has been a rise in the amount of counterfeit bills being circulated throughout the United States and Europe. He attributes the rise to technological advances in computers, scanners and printers.

"Counterfeit money is much easier to reproduce now," he said. "All the passer needs is a scanner and some high-tech paper."

Johnson said that before computers were so common, a counterfeiter would have to have printing skills to use the offset printing press required to print money.

Worldwide, millions of dollars in counterfeit money is made every year. But only about one-tenth of 1 percent of the money is ever put into circulation. The money is usually seized before it gets to that stage.

"We (the Secret Service) seize about 95 percent of that," Johnson said.

To help deter the crime of counterfeiting, the Bureau of Printing and Engraving recently released new currency into the system.

While the $1 bill hasn't been changed yet, the $5 bill and the other larger denominations have been.

Johnson said several changes to the new currency make it easier for anyone to detect a counterfeit.

"The portrait of the president on the new currency is larger than those on their counterfeit counterparts," he said, and, "the new bills that are $10 and larger have color shifting ink on them; the color shifts from green to black."

Another way of detecting counterfeit money is to check the serial numbers on the lower left and upper right hand sides of a bill. Each legitimate bill should have its own, individual serial number. Bills that share the same serial number are obvious counterfeits.

Johnson said there's a common factor among persons recently charged with the crime of counterfeiting; many of them have experimented with making the fake money on a home computer.

"We've seen this crime committed by kids as young as 13 to young adult," he said. "They don't know it's a federal crime and end up with a juvenile record. A lot of them say they just wanted to see if they could get away with passing off the money."

The crime of counterfeiting carries a sentence of up to 25 years and/or a fine of $1 million.

Johnson said the Secret Service recommends that if store personnel suspect a bill is counterfeit, "they should compare it with a real one. If the bill is counterfeit, they should call the police with a good description of the suspect and a description of the car, including license plate information. The business owner has the right and the responsibility to hold on to the counterfeit money until the police arrive."

Johnson said it's important that the business owner not hand the money back to the counterfeiter.

"You don't want to give the person the opportunity to pass it on to someone else," he said.