How to Test Fake Money

Make sure your money is real.

Counterfeiting is the process by which criminals print fraudulent money, or alter real currency to change its denomination. The US Government places several safeguards in its currency to help people spot fake bills. Several of these safeguards can be checked subtly, while others require a more obvious inspection. If you have any suspicion that money that is being offered is fake, refuse to accept it.

Things You'll Need

• Counterfeit pen

Instructions

1. Rub the bill between your fingers. It should feel stiffer than normal paper, with a texture that grabs your fingers slightly. This is because the "paper" is actually 75% cotton and 25% linen.

2. Look closely at the paper. It should have tiny red and blue fibers embedded in it.

3. Check the printing. Money is printed on extremely high-quality machinery, and will not be fuzzy, smeared or broken.

4. Look at the denomination in the lower-right corner as you tilt the bill back and forth. Bills $10 and up use color-shifting ink for this number. The ink changes from green to copper or black.

5. Hold the bill up to the light. All bills from $2 and up have a security thread embedded vertically inside of the bill, repeating "USA" and the denomination.

6. Check for the watermark in newer bills bigger than $2. It will be an image that matches the portrait or, in some cases, the denomination. This watermark is part of the paper and cannot be removed.

7. Draw on the bill with a counterfeit money detector pen. If the bill is real, the line will be yellow. If the line turns dark, the bill may be counterfeit.

Tips & Warnings

• Refuse bills older than 1996, especially if they are in a large denomination. Even real bills before this time do not contain many of these security measures.

References

• Wisebread: How to Spot Counterfeit Money
• Mental Floss: Counterfeit Bills vs. Real Money