Cash isn’t used as much these days, but fake money is still out there. The Treasury Department says about $70 million in counterfeit bills are circulating. This means there might be one fake bill for every 10,000 real ones, but there could be even more.
It’s good to know how to spot a fake bill, especially if you work in a place like a restaurant or store. Here are some tips to help you identify counterfeit money:
The feel of the paper
The easiest way to spot fake money is by feeling the paper. Real money is made from a special paper that feels grainy and crisp because it’s a mix of linen and cotton fibers.
Fake bills are usually printed on regular paper, like the kind used for printing documents, which comes from trees and feels different. Most people can tell the difference by touch, especially if they compare a fake bill to a real one.
Color-shifting ink
On newer bills that are $10 and more, the numbers in the lower right corner change color from copper to green. Just tilt the bill back and forth to see this change. Sometimes, people who make fake money put glitter on the numbers so they shine or look dull when you tilt the bill. But you can tell it’s fake if the color doesn’t change.
Blurry printing
Real money has very sharp lines and text because it is printed with a special process that’s hard to copy. If you see blurry lines or text, especially the tiny words on the money, it’s probably a fake bill. Look closely to check if everything is clear and easy to read.
Watermark
On newer, real bills, if you hold them up to the light, you’ll see a watermark. This watermark could be a number that matches the bill’s value or an image of the president on the bill. You can see this watermark from both sides of the bill.
Red and blue threads
Real bills have very small, hair-like red and blue threads woven into them. These threads are so fine and hard to make that fake bills usually don’t have them. The blue threads are usually easier to see.
Serial number
Each bill has a serial number, and the first letter of this number matches the year the bill was made. This year is also called the “series” number, and you can find it printed on the bill too. For example, ‘E’ stands for 2004, ‘G’ for 2004A, ‘I’ for 2006, and so on.
Security thread
Newer bills have a thin strip embedded vertically, either to the left or right of the person’s picture, depending on how much the bill is worth. The bill’s value is written on this strip.
Ultraviolet glow
I haven’t seen this myself, but I’ve heard that if you hold a real bill under ultraviolet light, it will glow in different colors depending on its value: $5 bills glow blue, $10 bills orange, $20 bills green, $50 bills yellow, and $100 bills red. If you have a UV light, you can try this and see what happens.
For more tips on how to tell if a bill is real or fake, you can look at the visual guide from the U.S. Currency Education Program.