Counterfeit Bills Passing 'Pen Test' Reported In Suburbs

COUNTRYSIDE, IL -- Police are reporting a dramatic increase in counterfeit bills being used and passed at businesses. A vast majority of the phony bills are passing the “pen test,” according to Countryside police.

Crooks are making small dollar amount purchases using counterfeit twenty- and fifty-dollar bills. The goal is to accrue a large amount of currency in change from purchases as quickly as possible. Although the bills are passing the pen test, banks are finding the bills to be fraudulent.

The detector pen uses an iodine solution that reacts with the starch in wood-based paper by leaving a black stain on the bill. The United States Secret Service offers the following tips for spotting a counterfeit bill:

• Look at the money you receive. If it feels funny, compare it to another bill of the same denomination and series. Pay attention to the quality of paper and printing characteristics.
• The portrait on the bill should appear lifelike and stand out from the background. The Secret Service says the portrait on counterfeit bill is usually lifeless and flat. Details may merge into the background and appear dark or mottled.
• Federal Reserve and Treasury Seals
• On a genuine bill, the saw-tooth points of the Federal Reserve and Treasury seals are clear, distinct, and sharp. The counterfeit seals may have uneven, blunt, or broken saw-tooth points.
• The fine lines in the border of a genuine bill are clear and unbroken. On the counterfeit, the lines in the outer margin and scrollwork may be blurred and indistinct.
• Genuine serial numbers have a distinctive style and are evenly spaced. The serial numbers are printed in the same ink color as the Treasury Seal. On a counterfeit, the serial numbers may differ in color or shade of ink from the Treasury seal. The numbers may not be uniformly spaced or aligned.
• Genuine currency paper has tiny red and blue fibers embedded throughout. Often counterfeiters try to simulate these fibers by printing tiny red and blue lines on their paper. Close inspection reveals, however, that on the counterfeit note the lines are printed on the surface, not embedded in the paper. It is illegal to reproduce the distinctive paper used in the manufacturing of United States currency.

A large amount of counterfeit money can devalue the value of real money, as well as lead to inflation. People caught circulating counterfeit money can face up to 15 years in prison and stiff fines if convicted. Any suspicious activity or doubts regarding the authenticity of currency should be reported to local police or by calling 911.

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